The Kerry senior hurlers have been struck by an outbreak of the mumps.
Fintan O'Connor's team are chasing promotion to the top tier of the Allianz Hurling League and have won all four of their Division 2A games to date.
A draw or win against Antrim in Tralee on Sunday will secure their place in the divisional final but O'Connor has three players out with the viral infection and is wary of it spreading throughout the squad.
"We have three cases on mumps over the past couple of days and its thrown our plans into disarray," he told the Irish Examiner.
"We are just following medical advice and all the procedures we are meant to follow as set down by the HSE.
"It will naturally rule out the lads who have it for Sunday's game and we will have to wait and see who might show signs of it as some of the players at training on Tuesday night travelled with one or two of the lads who have contracted the mumps.
"With the outbreak of mumps and injuries, we are probably scraping the barrel in terms of selection. It is far from ideal but we are used to taking knocks"
Mumps is a highly contagious viral infection and the most common symptom is a swelling of the parotid glands, which are located on either side of the face, just below the ears
The HSE says the symptoms of mumps usually develop between 14 and 25 days after a person is infected with the virus. The average incubation period is around 17 days. People diagnosed with mumps are recommended to stay away from school, college or work for five days after the symptoms begin.
There are currently no anti-viral medications that can be used to treat mumps. As a result, treatment is focused on relieving symptoms until the body's immune system manages to fight off the infection.
The number of cases has soared in Ireland since last year, with public health officials pointing to a temporary drop in the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine 20 years ago as a factor.
