Mayo manager JP Coen claims dual star Keith Higgins has been ordered not to play hurling.

Coen is eager to have the county's best hurler on board for Saturday's Christy Ring Cup opener against Derry, but feels he's fighting a losing battle due to the reluctance of his football counterparts Pat Holmes and Noel Connelly to release him.

"The issue with Keith Higgins is the usual story. He's not wanted to play by the football side of things," Coen blasted in the Western People.

"It's the ongoing battle that hurling has had in this county for years and years. We had the same issue with Sean Regan and David Kenny earlier on this year in the league.

"It has surprised me to a degree because for the last few years Keith has been available for all championship Christy Ring games, and especially with the distance between the Christy Ring and the first round of the Connacht SFC.

"For me, the issue is a bit funny because the word coming out of the football camp is that they don't want him to play hurling for fear of an injury, but yet he would be fully available to his club for a league match next Sunday, and also available the following weekend for another league match.

"So to me, that isn't good enough of a reason to say he can't play for his county in the hurling championship."

Higgins, the Mayo football captain, didn't feature in the hurlers' Allianz League campaign, but Coen claims he had always included him in his championship plans.

"I know people can say Keith wasn't part of the camp through the league and what not, but we've kept in close contact with him and he's a huge part of our plans for the championship because of the classy type of player he is," the hurling manager added.

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