Michael Fennelly believes Tipperary would have won last month's All-Ireland hurling final regardless of whether or not he was playing.

The Kilkenny midfielder missed the decider after suffering an Achilles tendon injury during the closing stages of the Cats' All-Ireland semi-final replay win over Waterford and is expected to be out of action until next summer.

"Genuinely, I don't think I would have made any difference whatsoever," he told RTÉ at the 2017 championship draw on Thursday night.

"The two lads, Conor [Fogarty] and TJ [Reid], did quite well in midfield. Obviously, we'd like to see TJ up more in the forwards where he hurls his best stuff.

"Just unfortunately with my injury he had to be pulled out there in midfield. And he was out there for the semi-final replay against Waterford as well so I don't think I'd have made any difference.

"They were well on top in different areas."

Fennelly is targeting May as his return date.

"I'm not too bad. I'm on week seven [of rehabilitation] at the moment so I've five weeks in a cast, two weeks in a boot, and another week or so in a boot and crutches and hopefully back in a shoe and get back walking.

"It's baby steps at the moment but things are coming along well. It's healing well, thank God. I'm just eager to get back and hopefully look forward to next year," the Ballyhale Shamrocks powerhouse added.

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