Injuries hampered Armagh’s progress throughout the league, but they look to be clearing up ahead of the Ulster Championship.
A number of regulars such as Ben Crealey and James Morgan missed out on the entire campaign, but are on the comeback trail.
Paddy Burns was another who picked up a knock during the league. More recently, Rian O’Neill and Andrew Murnin have been sidelined.
“We have a number of boys back into training this week,” confirmed Armagh coach Ciaran McKeever.
“Some boys got minutes under their belt at club football at the weekend. Obviously we lost Andrew (against Tyrone) and Rian during the week.
“But we have Ben Crealey, James Morgan and all these boys that’ll be back into training this week. They’ll be pushing over the next two weeks to get ready for championship as well.”
Murnin was in fine form throughout the campaign, but was replaced before half time last Sunday against Tyrone.
McKeever confirmed that it doesn’t look too bad for the St Paul’s clubman, but they’ll monitor his progress over the next few days.
Murnin and O’Neill
“It’s very hard to know with these, you have to assess it over the next 48 hours. From yesterday evening (Sunday) it seems positive enough but whether he’ll be ready go in 12 days’ time, who know.
“He’s been in really good form all year for us so hopefully it’s nothing major. He’s put a good body of work in.
“He would have had, of the last couple of years, a bad run of injuries and he’s put a body of work in over these last four or five years to get his hamstrings to the level that’s required at this tempo.”
Rian O’Neill missed out last Sunday due to injury, but like Murnin, McKeever hopes he will be available for the championship.
“It’s a quad nick so the next 12 days is big for him as well. He’s able to run and stuff but it’s the kicking that then becomes the problem with these injuries.
“Especially with Rian being our free-kick taker, it could maybe take that little big extra to recover,” added McKeever.
