Key defender out injured as Newcastle West play Austin Stacks in Munster club semi final

NEWCASTLE WEST defender Seamus Hurley will miss Sunday's Munster senior club football championship semi final.

The Limerick SFC winners journey to Tralee to play Austin Stacks in the provincial semi final but wing back Hurley will be absent after being forward off injured in the quarter final win over The Nire.

"Seamus got a serious injury - he dislocated his elbow and broke the bone above that. He will be out but he is well in himself and the prognosis is good for him Thank God," reported Newcastle West manager Jimmy Lee.

"The other injuries were a few knocks and bruises because it was a heavy field but we will be hopeful that all the rest will be ok," he added.

The loss of Hurley could see a start for Steven Brosnan.

"That’s a solid defensive unit that we have and has been all year. It’s been hard to break us down and we have worked hard at that. There has only been one or two changes in the half back line from time to time because when we brought in Seamus Hurley, Steven Brosnan was carrying a knock and he was out. As a collective unit they have been working well together and we will hope that will continue," said the manager of his defensive unit.

Newcastle West were without inter-county player Cian Sheehan in their previous round win over the Waterford champions and the side in black and white are hopeful their midfielder can play a role in Austin Stack Park this December 19.

"Cian is working with the medical team and the physios and we would be hopeful but at the end of the day it will come down to the physios decision and I know that we will take their advice on board," said Lee.

Newcastle West used 20 players in that win over The Nire and Jimmy Lee is confident in the ability of all his panel as they prepare to face the Kerry champions.

"There has always been depth there - it might not have always come together. The depth is there - there is a lot of underage coming through. We would have five that are 19 on the panel and one of them Ruadhan O’Connor took to the field the last day."

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A coin toss deemed that Newcastle West play Austin Stacks in Tralee, but manager of the west Limerick side won't offer the venue as any excuse.

"It didn’t bother us - it’s a fine facility. Mentally we are happy enough to go where ever to play it," said Lee, who has coaches in Stephen Kelly, Declan Brouder and Joe Lee.

Newcastle West won the Limerick SFC title on October 29 and had to contend with a long break until the Munster Championship on December 4.

"You had to give the boys time off to relax and recharge the batteries and then go again and the first 20-25 minutes proved it the last day. Playing competitive football is different to challenge games and it took that bit longer to come out of ourselves sin that first half but when we got going we were flying it," said Jimmy Lee of their quarter final win, which was the first for any Limerick side in the competition since 2008.