Portumna will leave any decision on the fitness of Joe Canning for the All-Ireland club hurling championship semi-final against Loughmore-Castleiney until Sunday morning but the player himself is describing his chances of being available for selection as "touch and go".

The 19-year-old pulled his left hamstring in training last Thursday and despite an intensive treatment that has included some stints in a cryo-therapy unit in Wexford, laser treatment and physiotherapy, he fears he will be unable to make any contribution to the Portumna cause.

"It's a bit doubtful now. We'll see Sunday morning when I go fully on it. I've only jogged on it so far but it's not looking great as it's still a bit sore with the jogging. We'll see before the match - it's touch and go."

Canning spent last Friday and Saturday in the cryo-therapy unit at Whites Hotel in Wexford and has been receiving treatment around the clock in the interim. While conscious of not wanting to aggravate the problem, he is not allowing himself to think of the possibility of being available for a St Patrick's Day All-Ireland final.

"We still have to get through the semi-final and that's the one thing you have to make sure of. You can't be thinking of anything else."

Meanwhile, the new Cork football selectors have been named. They are Jer O'Sullivan (Drimtariffe), Peader Healy (Naomh Abhan), Jim Nolan (Castlehaven) and Terry O'Neill ( Bantry Blues) and they will assist Conor Counihan who was appointed manager following the dismissal of Teddy Holland and his four selectors on Monday.

Dublin's Paul Brogan has been ruled out for the year with a cruciate knee ligament injury.

The youngest of the Brogan brothers, who impressed at wing back in the O'Byrne Cup, picked up the injury 10 minutes into DIT's Sigerson Cup win over DCU last week.

It has been confirmed the 21-year-old will play no further part in the defending Leinster champions' season.