KILKENNY ARE worried about the fitness of forwards Denis Byrne and John Power for the Leinster hurling championship final at Croke Park on Sunday.

They missed the semi-final against Dublin because of suspensions but now they are injured.

The worst affected is Power whose hamstring strain has been slow to recover. He missed the last three training sessions as a result. Byrne has contracted a toe infection but, of the two, manager Nicky Brennan is more hopeful of Byrne being available.

Brennan has yet to decide who will be in goal, a decision made difficult by Adrian Ronan's impressive display as understudy in the semi-final against Dublin when Joe Darmody was ruled out by injury.

Wexford manager Rory Kinsella will be able to pick from a full panel.

Dublin manager Michael O'Grady may have to find a replacement for Rory Boland in defence for the National Hurling League quarter-final against Tipperary on Saturday night.

Boland carried a knee injury into the Leinster championship semi-final against Kilkenny and is rated very doubtful. Fortunately for O'Grady he has strong options on the bench in Phil Harney, Alan Kelly and Davey McLoughlin.

Unlike previous occasions, Dublin will not travel to Thurles feeling they are on a mission impossible. They have had only one defeat in their last 10 outings, and the learning process against Kilkenny proved invaluable. Besides, Tipperary may be vulnerable after Sunday's Munster final defeat by Clare.

O'Grady, however, pays little heed to this notion. He said: "There is no way Tipperary will want to suffer two defeats in a row."