Tipperary have deferred the naming of their team for Sunday's All-Ireland hurling quarter-final against Galway, and won't announce a starting line-up until hours before the throw-in at Croke Park.
Manager Ken Hogan put his players through a final training session in Thurles last night, but discovered more injury problems than he'd reckoned on, and opted to wait until travelling to Dublin on Saturday evening before finalising his selection.
Central to his dilemma is the fitness of forwards John Carroll and Colin Morrissey. Carroll is still hindered by a finger injury sustained in a challenge with Wexford two weeks ago, while Morrissey is carrying a leg injury.
Fellow forward Lar Corbett is already ruled out with a hamstring injury, and Hogan is intent on giving Carroll and Morrissey every opportunity to prove their fitness. Defender Hugh Moloney was also revealed to be carrying a slight knock last night.
At least one player sure of starting is goalkeeper Brendan Cummins. He has already announced that he won't be defending his All-Ireland Poc Fada title this Saturday, allowing former Limerick goalkeeper and former champion Albert Shanahan to take his place.
Antrim have announced their starting line-up for Saturday's relegation final play-off against Laois, with Michael McCambridge returning to the half-back line, and Brendan Quinn starting at corner forward. Martin Scullion moves from midfield into the forward line, with Conor Cunning coming into midfield alongside captain Jim Connolly.
Elsewhere, Cork were the first team to announce their line-up for Saturday's fourth round of the All-Ireland football qualifiers. Manager Billy Morgan decided on one change from the team that fell to Kerry in the Munster final, reintroducing Brendan Ger O'Sullivan to the forward line as he takes his team to Portlaoise to face Sligo.
O'Sullivan was introduced in the second half against Kerry, but this time gets a starting place instead of Micheál Ó Croinín, who drops to the bench. With O'Sullivan starting at full forward, Fintan Goold switches to left corner forward, with John Hayes in the other corner. Graham Canty again starts at full back, having moved from midfield for the Kerry game, while Derek Kavanagh and Nicholas Murphy will start at midfield.
Sligo will announce their team after training this evening, and with the exception of midfielder Eamonn O'Hara - who misses the rest of the season with a knee injury - manager Dominic Corrigan should be able to field his strongest team. Brian Curran and Kenneth Sweeney, who missed the third round win over Clare, are back in line to play some role.
Cavan play Mayo in the other fourth round game in the live televised fixture from Hyde Park, and both teams will be finalised this evening. Cavan full back Darren Rabbitt should be fit to start despite being stretchered off in the win over Meath. Substitute Michael Lyng is also expected to recover from a hamstring injury.
Mayo are awaiting fitness updates on wing back Conor Moran (hamstring) plus substitute Trevor Howley (ankle), but otherwise manager John Maughan is expected to have a full complement to choose from.
The GAA, meanwhile, are still considering their potential course of action arising from Sunday's hurling quarter-final between Cork and Waterford, when two Cork players displayed advertising logos on their boots.
If proven to contravene regulations, the matter could yet result in a suspension.
Yesterday, however, a spokesman for Croke Park said that the matter would have to go before the Central Disciplinary Committee, and as yet that hasn't been scheduled. As for the possibility of a repeat this weekend, the GAA appear to be content that the Cork hurlers were an isolated case.
"As far as we're concerned this was a premeditated and pre-planned exercise in collusion with a photographic company," explained the GAA's spokesman. "But we're not mandated to issue any clarification on the matter before it goes before match regulations."
CORK (SF v Sligo): K O'Dwyer; G Murphy, G Canty, N Geary; N O'Leary, A Lynch, O Sexton; N Murphy, D Kavanagh; J Masters, C McCarthy, K McMahon; J Hayes, B O'Sullivan, F Goold.
ANTRIM (SH v Laois): D Quinn; M Kettle, G Bell, B Herron; M McCambridge, K McKeegan, C Herron; C Cunning, J Connolly; B McFall, C Hamill, M Scullion; J McIntosh, R Richmond, B Quinn.
