CORK DEFENDER John Gardiner is anxiously awaiting the outcome of further tests on a back injury which may threaten his participation in the remainder of the hurling championship.

Gardiner was a late withdrawal from last Saturday’s phase one qualifier win over Offaly due to the slow recovery from the back injury sustained last month while playing football with his club St Finbarr’s. There is now speculation that Gardiner will require a prolonged period of recovery, pending the results of the further tests to be known in the coming days.

Such worrying news for manager Denis Walsh has been somewhat softened by the decision of another former All Star defender Brian Murphy to return to the panel. The Bride Rovers corner back opted out of the Cork set-up during the strike over the winter, and despite requests from Walsh to rejoin the panel, didn’t feature so far this season.

Murphy has now reconsidered and is expected to be in line for a recall for Cork’s next outing, in phase three of the qualifiers, where they will meet one of the phase two winners, set for July 18th.

Meanwhile, Kildare’s repeated request for a pre-match run-out in Croke Park was eventually answered this week when they were allowed a 30-minute training session ahead of Sunday’s Leinster final showdown against Dublin.

Manager Kieran McGeeney had been outspoken on the matter, claiming the GAA needed to look after their own. The matter of allowing teams a run-out at Croke Park is set to be discussed by the GAA’s management committee.

The Mayo County Board is to carry out a full investigation over the incident at a weekend club game which resulted in Mayo midfielder Ronan McGarrity being removed to hospital where he received emergency treatment for a hairline fracture to his upper cheekbone.

The injury to McGarrity is likely to deprive the Mayo senior team of his services for their Connacht championship clash against Galway on Sunday week.

Elsewhere, forward Damien Hayes and defender John Lee are doubtful for Galway in Saturday’s All-Ireland hurling qualifier against Clare in Ennis. Hayes sustained a calf injury in the Leinster semi-final loss to Kilkenny, while Lee broke a toe in a challenge match against Tipperary last week.

Finally, Cork footballer Anthony Lynch and Waterford hurler John Mullane were yesterday named as the Opel/GPA Players of the Month for June.