Down planning without captain Rogers

Down captain Ambrose Rogers has been all but ruled out of the GAA Football All-Ireland final clash with Cork on Sunday week.

Rogers is struggling with a knee injury he picked up while on Club duty with Longstone the week after the quarter-final win over Kerry.

Speaking at the Mourne County’s media night on Wednesday, manager James McCartan said he was planning for the final without Rogers.

“The situation with Ambrose is exactly the same – we are planning to be without him and then just hope against hope,” said McCartan yesterday.

Rogers, whose late father appeared in the 1991 final, missed the semi-final win over Kildare, but has not given up hope of featuring in Down’s first All-Ireland final appearance since ’94.

However, given the nature of the problems some high-profile figures, including Kilkenny’s Henry Shefflin, have had in rushing back from knee injuries this year, McCartan is understandably wary of making any bold predictions about his skipper.

“We saw the situation with Kilkenny where Henry Shefflin’s knee didn’t hold up and John Tennyson’s did so we just don’t know,” McCartan added.

“Also, the situation with Dermot Early (the Kildare veteran failed to start against Down after struggling with a similar injury all season) shows there are no guarantees.”