Eddie Keher admits Michael Fennelly will be a big loss to Kilkenny in their quest to retain their Leinster SHC crown.

The midfielder is facing up to 10 weeks on the sidelines after fracturing a bone and sustaining ligament damage in his right ankle during the Cats' Allianz League final victory over Cork last Sunday.

In an interview with the Irish Daily Mail, Kilkenny legend Keher said: "I don't think there is any such thing as an irreplaceable player, but what Michael brings to the team is irreplaceable in terms of his ball-winning, the powerful runs he can make and his ability.

"He has become a very important player on the team and the reality is that when you are missing the likes of Henry Shefflin, Richie Power and Michael Fennelly, you can't pretend that you will replace them with like for like and that it doesn't leave you vulnerable because it does.

"But I think what you can do, as Kilkenny showed the last day, is that you can still put in top-class players who are more than capable of rising to the challenge and who have the mentality for it." Tweet

Most Read Stories