Kilkenny midfielder Michael Fennelly says his absence from the All-Ireland final against Tipperary made no difference to the outcome.
The Ballyhale man injured his Achilles tendon towards the end of the Cats’ semi-final replay victory over Waterford and was ruled out for a number of months.
Brian Cody’s men were second best throughout the Liam MacCarthy decider but Fennelly, Hurler of the Year in 2011, reckons the Premier County were far superior on the day.
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“Genuinely, I don’t think I would have made any difference whatsoever,” he told RTÉ Sport.
“The two lads, Conor [Fogarty] and TJ [Reid], did quite well in midfield.
“Obviously, we’d like to see TJ up more in the forwards where he hurls his best stuff.
“Just unfortunately with my injury he had to be pulled out there in midfield. And he was out there for the semi-final replay against Waterford as well so I don’t think I’d have made any difference.
“They were well on top in different areas.”
Fennelly, whose Kilkenny side will meet the winners of Wexford or a qualifier group team in the semi-final of the 2017 Leinster championship, has set himself a return date of April or May.
He added: “I’m not too bad. I’m on week seven [of rehabilitation] at the moment so I’ve five weeks in a cast, two weeks in a boot, and another week or so in a boot and crutches and hopefully back in a shoe and get back walking.
"It’s baby steps at the moment but things are coming along well.
"It’s healing well, thank God. I’m just eager to get back and hopefully look forward to next year.”
