CORK have been dealt a severe blow, not only for next Sunday but for the longer term, with the news yesterday that their star left corner back Brian Collins has been ruled out of football for the rest of the season.
Collins was given a strenuous time trying to keep check on Clare's roaming right corner forward Pat Conway in last Sunday's drawn Munster senior football championship semi final in Ennis.
With Conway covering acres of ground as part of Clare's match plan, the willing Collins was forced to follow him. The Cork man finally pulled up with a badly torn leg ligament a few minutes from half time and was replaced by Mark Farr.
Collins had held the adventurous Conway scoreless as did Farr subsequently but the seriousness of the Castlehaven man's injury was later realised and he was detained in hospital on Sunday night.
Farr is again named as Collins's replacement for Sunday's replay. The Cork team shows three changes in all from that which started the drawn match.
Debutant John Buckley of Duhallow comes into the half forward line and figures on the left wing where Martin Cronin operated last Sunday. Don Davis, a second half replacement for O'Mahony last Sunday, is placed at right half forward with Joe Kavanagh moving to his favourite position on the "40".
Clare left the left half forward position vacant when they named their team last night in the hope that Gerry Killeen will be fit. Killeen got a knock late on in Sunday's match and didn't train last night. He undergoes a fitness test on Thursday night but the belief in Clare is that he will be cleared to take his place in an otherwise unchanged team.
Dublin keep faith in the side that started against Westmeath for Sunday's Leinster senior football championship clash with Louth in Navan.
The decision by Micky Whelan and his co selectors not to announce their substitutes until after tomorrow evening's training session was predictable with such an important figure as Jason Sherlock virtually ruled out through injury.
Sherlock will undergo a final fitness test on a damaged leg muscle on Saturday morning, a week after he aggravated the injury in training. Micky Whelan was last night no more optimistic about the dashing attacker's chances of being fit for Sunday's game than he was on Monday when he gave Sherlock a less than a 50-50 chance of being ready for action.
Sherlock replaced Niall Guiden in the 49th minute against Westmeath and performed encouragingly. Damien O'Brien is under pressure to hold on to a corner forward position especially with Robbie Boyle vying for permanent recognition. Boyle replaced O'Brien last time out but the selectors are justified in persisting with the promising O'Brien.
An early swap of wings with Charlie Redmond may have unsettled O'Brien against Westmeath. Mick Deegan's swap at the start with Paddy Moran in the full back line appeared to work more smoothly.
Ulster champions Tyrone make two changes from the side that started last time out for Sunday's Ulster senior football semi final against Derry in Clones. Seamus McCallan, ruled out through injury against Fermanagh, returns to centre half back in place of Aidan Morris. Brian Gormley who replaced Damian Gormley in the same match, is retained at left corner forward.
Derry, meanwhile will have a full panel from which to name their side tonight. This means that Dermot McNicholl, who missed the Armagh match because of a wrist injury, will be among a number of players, originally thought to be doubtful, who will now be available for selection.
Dermot Heaney, who came on a substitute against Armagh, will be pushing for a half forward spot. Rory Boylan, who has been out of action with a hamstring injury since February, may have to settle for a place on the bench but Sean Lockhart and Johnny McGurk are fit to be considered.
