Donal O'Grady has named a Cork team one shy of full strength ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland hurling championship semi-final against Wexford after John Gardiner was ruled out with a broken right hand. The injury, which occurred playing football for his club, Na Piarsaigh, gives Cian O'Connor a first championship start.
It's a blow to the famed Cork half-back line as Gardiner, who also missed last week's under-21 Munster final defeat to Tipperary, has become a key player since making the breakthrough last year.
O'Connor is the only change to the side which scored a 22-point victory over Antrim in last month's All-Ireland quarter-final but O'Grady surely must have agonised over the exclusion of Pat Mulcahy. The Newtownshandrum player was brought back into the panel after impressing at club level in recent weeks.
Mulcahy starred at full back in last year's Cork side before moving to the corner, where he marked DJ Carey in the All-Ireland final. However, shortly after Newtownshandrum's All-Ireland club success this year he damaged his hand in a car crash.
Wexford will name their team tomorrow night and manager John Conran could lose his half-forward line as Paul Carley, Eoin Quigley and Barry Lambert are all doubtful. Carley is the major concern after he damaged ankle ligaments playing in the county football championship for Glynn-Barntown a fortnight ago. The injury occurred in the last minute against Sarsfields.
Quigley is carrying a hamstring strain, while Barry Lambert also has an ankle complaint though it is not considered to be serious.
In the six weeks since the Leinster final victory over Offaly only one round of both the football and hurling championships have been played in Wexford, as the county board ensured the focus stayed on the preparations of the intercounty hurling and football teams.
In contrast to Munster champions Waterford, who had a similarly lengthy lay-off before last week's semi-final, Conran opted against any challenge matches.
Meanwhile, it is still unclear if Jack O'Connor and his Kerry selectors will start Seamus Moynihan against Dublin in Saturday's All-Ireland football quarter-final. Moynihan has been troubled by ligament damage to his right ankle, which has curtailed his involvement in the championship thus far.
The injury proved more serious than initially thought as he also chipped the bone around the ankle. However, he has returned to training and played a full part in last Thursday's match against the under-21s. The seniors won thanks to a late goal from Noel Kennelly, another player to come back into the panel since the Munster final victory over Limerick.
Declan O'Sullivan played for the under-21s in that match and has recovered sufficiently from a broken collarbone. He is expected to be named at centre forward.
Another concern is who will partner Darragh Ó Sé in midfield. Donal Daly (Achilles tendon) and Seamus Scanlon are also out, so O'Connor may name either William Kirby or move Eoin Brosnan back from half-forward to the slot he filled last season. An outside bet could see Micheál Quirke drafted in, as the basketball star lined up alongside Ó Sé last week. Mike McCarthy has been nursing a knock to his knee but will be available for selection. However, Tommy Griffin is out for three weeks, again with an ankle ligament injury.
The management selected its side last night and will announce it tonight after training.
Dublin have no injury concerns, apart from the long-term loss of Dessie Farrell and Collie Moran. The team will be selected tomorrow night but, as usual, no announcement will be made until just before throw-in. Conal Keaney is expected to keep his half forward slot but changes are possible in defence after Roscommon asked serious questions in the qualifiers.
Paul Casey is under intense pressure from Peadar Andrews and Shane Ryan for the wing-back slot. Barry Cahill is by no means assured a starting berth at corner back; an option being to pull Paul Griffin back to the corner thus freeing up a starting slot for Ryan or Andrews.
In the other quarter-final, Derry and Westmeath are expected to name their sides tomorrow night. The only doubt for Derry is corner back Gerard O'Kane (ankle).
CORK (SH v Wexford): D Óg Cusack; W Sherlock, D O'Sullivan, B Murphy; C O'Connor, D Curran, S Óg hAilpin; T Kenny, J O'Connor; B O'Connor, N McCarthy, T McCarthy; C Murphy, B Corcoran, J Deane.
