![thumbnail: Dublin's nine-time All-Ireland medal winners, from left, James McCarthy, Stephen Cluxton and Michael Fitzsimons celebrate after last year's All-Ireland SFC final win over Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile](https://i0.wp.com/focus.independent.ie/thumbor/HIeT7dwNa3UMrXN-kXDGtx1ac9o=/319x186:5708x3775/160x107/prod-mh-ireland/8039c783-5e0b-40e7-bf45-8d159b23ab20/bbb40d15-583e-4157-9de5-e236f5715cde/2588601.jpg?h=40&ssl=1)
![thumbnail: Dublin's Stephen Cluxton limbers up before the Allianz Football League Division 1 match against Tyrone at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo: Ray McManus/Sportsfile](https://i0.wp.com/focus.independent.ie/thumbor/8k4taQFxLboCjXWaED5skWs362Y=/0x221:2164x1662/160x107/prod-mh-ireland/ef62e8a7-3a00-4db2-b856-378931ba7bf4/7f2864a4-b3b7-44f2-ba52-beb09377b05a/Sports2770377.jpg?h=40&ssl=1)
Dessie Farrell ruled out the possibility of Dublin’s nine-time All-Ireland winners playing in next weekend’s Allianz Football League Division 1 final, but reiterated the intention that all three will be back in the frame for their All-Ireland SFC campaign.
James McCarthy is the only one of the three to appear during the League, which Dublin rounded off with a thumping 21-point win over Tyrone in Croke Park to qualify for next week’s final against Derry.
McCarthy played just half an hour of Dublin’s opening day loss to Monaghan in Croke Park.
“He’s had a couple of knocks and injuries,” Farrell explained, “but we’d hope to see him come championship.”
Dublin’s Stephen Cluxton limbers up before the Allianz Football League Division 1 match against Tyrone at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo: Ray McManus/Sportsfile
As yet, neither Stephen Cluxton or Mick Fitzsimons have played a minute for Dublin this season, although Cluxton did tog out for his club on Sunday in a League game and then travelled to Croke Park with the Sky Blues squad, where he took part in the pre-match warm-up.
“The lads are training away,” Farrell explained. “So we hope to have them available to us come championship.”
Cluxton, now 42, didn’t feature last year until the Leinster semi-final while Fitzsimons, who turns 36 next month, missed their first three games of the championship due to his sitting exams.
“I think this time of year, you want to be careful as well because even though some players might declare themselves available you can never be sure,” Farrell explained.
“This time of year you’re better off erring on the side of caution.
“Those lads just mentioned won’t be available to us but I think we’ll have others.”