Limerick chairman Danny Drew said yesterday the club have held meetings with a leading junior club in the city regarding a ground share and joint development venture and that he hoped a deal could be concluded by the end of next week.
The move follows the withdrawal of an offer of the long-term lease the club had been hoping to secure on Rathbane after it emerged that a rival bidder for the site had emerged at the last minute.
"We are not property developers and we won't become involved in a bidding war for the land," said Drew.
Derry City and Drogheda United must put Thursday's Uefa Cup victories firmly to one side tomorrow as they turn their attention to the title race at home when Stephen Kenny's side are due to take on Waterford United at the Brandywell and Paul Doolin's team travel to Longford.
The Northerners add newly signed Seán Holmes to their squad but the versatile left-sided player, an Irish league winner with Glentoran a couple of season back and the holder of one senior Northern Ireland cap, is short on match fitness and unlikely to feature.
Brian Cash has already left the Brandywell and Kenny confirmed yesterday that Eamonn Doherty, who is frustrated by the lack of first-team opportunities, is likely to follow him with Coleraine and Dundalk amongst the interested clubs.
Killian Brennan, Pat McCourt (both injured) and Stephen O'Flynn (suspended) all miss tomorrow's game while Waterford are likely to be without a string of players, with Paul McCarthy, Darren Young and Paul Hopkins amongst those laid up. Alan Reynolds (back) is a doubt. The club have signed Alan Cawley from UCD, though, and the midfielder is likely to go straight into the team.
United will work off the same panel that was available on Thursday, meaning that only James Keddy and Declan O'Brien are out, although Graham Gartland suffered a knock to his head in the defeat of HJK Helsinki and is a slight doubt for tomorrow.
UCD's attempt to sign Aidan O'Keefe on loan from Bohemians looked to have fallen through yesterday ahead of today's meeting between the two clubs with Gareth Farrelly unable to secure the player he reckoned would have made the 24-year-old surplus to requirements.
Manager Pete Mahon does, however, have his son Alan, as well as Paul Byrne, available again while he is hopeful club skipper Tony McDonnell will be fit enough to play some part as the team look to bounce back from last week's trouncing at Shelbourne.
"It was a bad result, there's no point in pretending otherwise," said Mahon yesterday, "but you simply have to put it down as a blip and get on with things. There's no shame in losing at Shelbourne but the lads realise that the second half got away from them a bit and they're confident that it was just one of those things, a one-off."
