Padraig Mannion is the man to fill Galway’s centre-back void if Gearoid McInerney fails to recover for the All-Ireland semi-final replay, according to former Tipperary hurler Shane McGrath.
The Banner and the Tribesmen will meet again on Sunday, with Semple Stadium the venue this time after treating supporters and viewers alike to a 62 score bonanza in Croke Park on Saturday.
Extra-time couldn’t separate the sides, with Clare substitute Jason McCarthy claiming the final score in a gripping encounter.
The All-Ireland champions saw reigning Hurler of the Year Joe Canning (knee) and number six McInerney (thigh) depart the field of play injured, though there has been no further detail on the extent of their respective injuries.
Speaking on 2fm’s Game On programme, McGrath says he is being led to believe Canning will be fit for Sunday, but that the Oranmore defender could miss out in Thurles, which would involve a defensive reshuffle for manager Micheál Donoghue.
"Padriag Mannion could come into centre-back and I think he will do a good job. He won’t be the same [physical] presence as McInerney. Paul Killeen will probably come in wing-back," he told listeners.
Fellow pundit agrees that Mannion would "seamlessly" adapt to the positional switch, but would opt for a different substitute from Saturday for the wing-back slot.
"I think Sean Loftus is a better option at wing-back. Killeen is a real tenacious man-marker."
McGrath was also impressed by Clare’s approach to the game despite falling quickly in arrears as Galway built up a nine point lead after the opening quarter.
"Fair play to Clare, they brought Colm Galvin back. He got on 19 possessions and set-up 1-04, including the goal for Aaron Shanagher in extra-time. That worked.
"Micheál Donoghue is going to have to look at that and counteract it. I think Galway will learn from all the mistakes they have made.
"What I really liked about Clare, and especially David Fitzgerald when he came on, they saw that Galway didn’t like to be taken on. He took them on and drove through the middle.
"He had that bit of composure in laying the ball off to Jason McCarthy who put it over the bar."
