Michael Rice’s injury woes continue

The luckless 30-year-old Kilkenny hurler may have suffered cruciate damage

Kilkenny hurler Michael Rice has suffered a knee injury. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho
Kilkenny hurler Michael Rice has suffered a knee injury. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho

Kilkenny's Michael Rice has once again succumbed to injury woes after suffering a suspected cruciate ligament injury at a training camp with the National League champions over the weekend.

The 30-year-old Carrickshock has endured an injury ravaged season and this latest setback, if the prognosis is correct, would effectively end his involvement in the championship. He didn’t play in the League but was a substitute in a recent challenge game against Clare.

Richie Power (hamstring) and Henry Shefflin (foot) and have already been ruled out of Saturday's opening Leinster championship clash with Offaly in Nowlan Park, while the game may also come too soon for Michael Fennelly.

Waterford hurling manager Derek McGrath has made two changes to his side to play Cork in their Munster championship replay in Thurles on Sunday with Shane Fives taking over from Barry Coughlan and Shane O'Sullivan starting in midfield in place of Eddie Barrett who suffered a knee injury the last day.

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The Roscommon team to face Mayo in Sunday’s Connacht semi-final has been announced and John Evans has made just one change to the side which defeated Leitrim, with Ian Kilbride replacing the injured David Keenan.

Roscommon (SF v Mayo): D O'Malley; S McDermott, N Carty, N Collins; I Kilbride, N Daly, C Cafferkey; C Shine, K Higgins; D O'Gara, D Shine, R Stack; S Kilbride, C Cregg, C Murtagh.

Waterford (SH v Cork): S O'Keeffe; T de Burca, L Lawlor, N Connors; J Nagle, M Walsh, S Fives; S O'Sullivan, K Moran; C Dunford, J Dillon, P Mahony; S Walsh, B O'Sullivan, A Gleeson.

Waterford (SF v Clare in Ennis, Saturday, 7.0): S Enright, D Crowley, T O'Gorman, M O'Gorman, C Phelan, S Briggs, O Keevers, S Aherne, T Prendergast, M O'Gorman, L Ó Lonáin, T Ó hUallacháin, B Wall, P Whyte, JJ Hutchinson.