By Cian O'Connell

A severe and increasing injury list is disturbing Galway's preparations ahead of the Allianz Football League.

Galway host Cavan at Pearse Stadium next Sunday and are expected to be without several established players for the game. Seven Corofin players currently in the panel will be unavailable, while Eamonn Brannigan, Adrian Varley and Paul Conroy are long term casualties.

Damien Comer is also rated very doubtful for the game in Salthill, with John Daly, Michael Daly, Declan Kyne, Johnny Heaney, and Cillian McDaid all suffering injuries during the Connacht FBD League.

"It's a game we needed very, very badly; I suppose the worrying thing now is the amount of people we're heading into the League without," Galway manager Kevin Walsh remarked following the Connacht FBD League Final defeat against Roscommon. "There's something like 13 before that were unavailable and looking at the few things inside, there could be a few more by next week.

"There's a fair list there at the minute, but that's a chance for someone step up but they're going to have to be stepping up fairly quick."

Walsh acknowledged that Galway weren't sufficiently clinical converting chances as proven by the 1-5 from 24 shots statistic. "The result normally goes the way you deserve, normally," Walsh stated.  You can only do things inside your own control and something like two out of 11 shots in the second half, 17%, it's unacceptable. You'd want to be up around 60% or something like that.

"That's not good enough either and then maybe got hit on the counter from dropping short and four or five free chances we'd normally nail and momentum didn't come our way, but in fairness to Roscommon they were well set up and it was very hard to break them down, and they were good on the counter

"But, again, you know, what am I happy with? In particular, getting a game. There was a lot of rustiness out there, even in the second half there was much better handling around the back maybe compared to the first half so you just have to get back into the swing of things."

A demanding stint awaits for Galway according to Walsh. "Absolutely," the Killannin clubman replied. "Cavan coming and they're newly promoted like we were last year.  "They're going to be all guns firing. We've a poor record against Cavan over the last number of years.

"It's two aways against Dublin and Monaghan, two of the best teams in the country, and then Kerry are coming to town and away to Mayo so it doesn't get much tougher than that. 

"But it is what it is, we held ourselves pretty well last year. It doesn't mean we'll do it this year, but you need the bodies on deck and other people to step up.

"If you go into the panel deep and if there's one or two of them or three that might step up later in the year, that's your gain and for that to happen maybe we'll have some pain along the way.