By John Harrington

Dublin manager, Dessie Farrell, admits Sean Bugler is an injury-doubt for the All-Ireland SFC Final against Kerry on July 30.

The St. Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh club-man missed the semi-final win over Monaghan with a calf injury, but Farrell hopes he can still be fit for selection against the Kingdom.

“It'll be touch and go, being honest,” says Farrell. “We're throwing everything at it and we're hoping he'll be alright.

“I honestly don't know whether he will be or not. So it'll be, I'd imagine, a late fitness test and all of that. Everyone else is in good shape.”

Dublin coped without Bugler against Monaghan, but there’s no doubt he’d still be a loss for the Final.

He’d been enjoying his best season yet for the sky blues, scoring consistently and bringing great punch to the Dublin half-forward line with his work-ethic and direct running.

“Yeah, he'd been going well, for sure,” says Farrell. “Maturing and developing nicely this season. But, look it, that's the nature of it.

“We've got out of it relatively okay in terms of when you look at it in its entirety. But player availability is important the next day. If you can have everyone available to you it helps, doesn't it?”

Farrell has had the luxury of utilising players with multiple All-Stars such as Ciaran Kilkenny, Jack McCaffrey, and Dean Rock as impact substitutes this season, which enabled Dublin to produced big second-half displays in their quarter-final and semi-final wins over Mayo and Monaghan.

But he admits it hasn’t always made for easy conversations with those who don’t making the starting XV.

“They're always challenging conversations because the nature of the beast is very competitive and everyone feels they can make a contribution,” he says.

“It's not just with senior players, it's some of the younger players, which is to be encouraged as well and we like to see that.

"Those conversations at any stage in the season, and it doesn't really matter who the player is, they're always difficult.

“But, ultimately everyone knows the decisions are being made for the betterment of the group and thankfully everybody buys into that.”