Mike Casey starts after two years out injured as Limerick hurling team named to play Offaly

LIMERICK'S hurling team has been confirmed for Sunday's crucial Allianz League tie with Offaly.

The Leinster side come to the TUS Gaelic Grounds for the March 20 fixture which has a 1.45 start.

John Kiely's Limerick need to avoid defeat to ensure they won't face into a relegation play-off with Antrim the following weekend.

As Limerick search for their first victory of the league, it's a team that shows four changes from the draw with Clare two weeks ago.

Into the team come Sean Finn, Mike Casey, Oisin O'Reilly and Graeme Mulcahy in place of Richie English, Colin Coughlan, William O'Donoghue and Adam English.

Mike Casey is set to make his first Limerick appearance since a league tie with Waterford on March 7, 2020 - a series of injuries have kept the Na Piarsaigh defender sidelined across the last two years.

His return releases Dan Morrissey back into the half back line. 

Elsewhere, there is a first start of the 2022 seasons for Graeme Mulcahy and a first ever league start for Oisin O'Reilly. The Kilmallock man played four league games as a substitute in 2018. His sparkling club form earned him an inter-county recall this season and he was introduced as a sub in round one against Wexford.

Included in a matchday panel for the first time is Ahane's Ciaran Barry.

It's a panel that doesn't include Kyle Hayes or William O'Donoghue, along with the suspended Seamus Flanagan and long-term injured Peter Casey and Barry Murphy.

TV blackout for crucial Limerick and Offaly Allianz Hurling League tie

Sunday will hopefully bring an end to a two year injury battle for Mike Casey. The 2018 All-Ireland winning full back, had worn the No3 jersey in four of Limerick's five 2020 Allianz League games when Covid-19 restrictions shutdown the GAA season.

Then on October 11 2020, Casey suffered a cruciate ligament injury in a challenge game between Limerick and Galway ahead of the inter-county championship resumption. One month later he underwent a cruciate ligament operation on his right knee in the Sports Surgery Clinic in Santry. In the Summer of 2021, Casey was back in full training with Limerick and but that July he suffered a setback in a comeback game with his club. He again battled back to fitness but last Autumn he suffered another setback in his knee rehab and in December underwent another a third operation in the Sports Surgery Clinic in Santry. 

Casey, whose younger brother Peter is battled back from his own cruciate ligament injury sustained in last year's All-Ireland final, was named among the subs against Clare last time out but he now selected to start against Offaly.

LIMERICK: Nickie Quaid (Effin); Sean Finn (Bruff), Mike Casey (Na Piarsaigh), Barry Nash (South Liberties); Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell), Declan Hannon (Adare), Dan Morrissey (Ahane); Cathal O’Neill (Crecora-Manister), Darragh O’Donovan (Doon); Gearoid Hegarty (St Patricks), Cian Lynch (Patrickswell), Tom Morrissey (Ahane); Oisín O’Reilly (Kilmallock), Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell), Graeme Mulcahy (Kilmallock). Subs: Barry Hennessy (Kilmallock), Ciaran Barry (Ahane), Conor Boylan (Na Piarsaigh), Aaron Costello (Kilmallock), Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown), Adam English (Doon), Richie English (Doon), Robbie Hanley (Kilmallock), Brian O’Grady (Kilteely-Dromkeen), David Reidy (Dromin-Athlacca), Pat Ryan (Doon).