By Michael McMullan

CAVAN manager Mickey Graham says Gearóid McKiernan may see action before the end of the league with the priority of having him fully ready for the championship.

The Breffni County are out on Saturday, April 22, against the winners of Armagh and Antrim and Graham said his talisman is “not far away” from a return.

McKiernan was the top scoring player in Ulster last season – with 3-64 to his name – but has yet to make an appearance since their Tailteann Cup final defeat last summer. After lining out in the club championship, he sustained an injury during Cavan’s pre-season preparations.

“Gearóid is on the road to recovery,” Graham told Gaelic Life.. “He is not far away…maybe another couple of weeks and we might see at the end of the league.

“It’s about making sure we get him right and he is putting a lot of work in to get himself back to where he needs to get to.”

“We are being cautious and not rushing him back too soon. It has been a gradual case of getting him back and there is no point in forcing him back at this stage, it’s about getting him ready and making sure he is there for the championship.”

Cavan have won all four league games to date and face Down this weekend in Kingspan Breffni.

There has been a return in recent weeks for Paddy Lynch from injury, who kicked 10 points in their win over Offaly.

Graham has brought in six of last year’s u20 team with Niall Carolan and Tiarnan Madden bedding down alongside the returning Dara McVeety in a settled defence where the entire back seven have started all four league games to date.

One player not in the mix has been Luke Fortune who stepped away to focus on study and work placement commitments, while Thomas Galligan made the decision to go travelling.

Other newcomers Brandon Boylan and Oisin Brady had added to the Cavan attack until an ankle injury forced the latter off in their win over Longford.

“Oisin is hopefully only a week or two away and it’s not as bad as first feared,” Graham said of his top scorer. “We’ll hopefully get him back as quick as possible in the last two league games.”