THERE WAS GOOD news for Dundalk ahead of their Champions League play-off with Legia Warsaw today as manager Stephen Kenny revealed that defender Brian Gartland is available.

The SSE Airtricity League’s top side meet the Polish champions in the first leg at the Aviva Stadium tomorrow night (7.45pm) with a place in the group stages of Europe’s elite club competition at stake.

First choice centre-half Gartland was ruled out for six to eight weeks after suffering a broken wrist in the second qualifying round tie with FH Hafnarfjordur at Oriel Park last month.

Although the 29-year-old has been sidelined since then, he has been given the green light to line out with a protective cast on Wednesday.

“Preparations have gone quite well,” Kenny said during today’s pre-match press conference.

Brian Gartland has been declared fit to play. He broke his wrist in the game against FH and the surgeon has given him the go-ahead to play with a particular cast that is within the laws. So Brian comes into the squad.”

Having trained at the FAI’s National Training Centre in Abbottstown over the weekend, Dundalk will hold a session on the Lansdowne Road pitch this afternoon.

And Kenny is also optimistic that midfielders Ronan Finn and Patrick McEleney can recover from groin injuries in time.

“We wait on Ronan Finn and Patrick McEleney,” he added. “They’ve both had groin issues so we’re waiting to see and we’re hopeful that both of them could be available.”

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