Seán Óg Ó hAilpín has yet to resurface for the All-Ireland hurling champions but Cork manager John Allen has named his strongest side so far this season for Sunday's trip to Wexford Park.
Donal Óg Cusack returns in goal, while Diarmuid O'Sullivan is joined in the full-back line by Wayne Sherlock and Brian Murphy. Tom Kenny is back at midfield alongside Kieran Murphy of Erin's Own and Timmy McCarthy is named at right wing forward. John Gardiner has been handed the number six jersey and Ronan Curran has been switched to right wing back.
They will improve again when Ó hAilpín and the Newtownshandrum contingent return. Pat Mulcahy, captain for 2006, and the O'Connor twins, Ben and Jerry, have been given a week's rest after their exertions in the St Patrick's Day defeat to Portumna in the All-Ireland club final.
Limerick are looking to make it four wins from as many outings when they go to Portlaoise this Sunday. They have made just one change in personnel from the draw with Kilkenny with goalkeeper Timmy Houlihan given his first start in the league.
The Tipperary hurling team to play Galway on Sunday at Semple Stadium shows four changes from the side that defeated Antrim in round three.
Paul Kelly makes his first start of 2006 at left wing back while there is a new half-forward line of Shane McGrath, John Devane and Ger O'Grady. Eoin Kelly also returns to the panel and is named as a substitute. Diarmaid Fitzgerald, Séamus Butler and John Carroll were not considered due to injury.
Young hurler of the year David Collins and last season's top scorer in the championship Ger Farragher are Galway manager Conor Hayes' primary concerns.
Also doubtful for a game Galway must win to entertain any hope of a place in the knockout stages is midfielder Shane Kavanagh.
Galway will again be without their Portumna contingent, including All Stars Ollie Canning and Damien Hayes, as the All-Ireland club champions are heading to the Canaries on Saturday for a holiday.
In football, Jason Killeen, who has been out of favour with Galway since being dropped for the 2000 All-Ireland final, is poised for a dramatic return with his county side.
The Corofin man was regarded as one of the brightest young stars in the game when he emerged as a 20-year-old in 2000.
Two years earlier Galway had won their first All-Ireland title for 33 years and Killeen's emergence, initially at full back and then centre back, seemed to bolster then manager John O'Mahony's bid for further glory.
He lined out at centre back in the semi-final championship win over Kildare, but was replaced during the game by John Divilly.
Killeen was dropped for the All-Ireland final against Kerry and did not feature as a substitute in either the drawn game or the replay which was won by the Munster champions.
He subsequently lived in the United States and captained New York in the Connacht championship for a few seasons before returning home to Galway a few weeks ago. He is due to return to the county squad in the coming weeks.
CORK (SH v Wexford): D Óg Cusack; W Sherlock, D O'Sullivan, B Murphy; R Curran, J Gardiner, C O'Connor; T Kenny, K Murphy (Erin's Own); T McCarthy, C McGann, R Conway; J Deane, B Corcoran, K Murphy (Sarsfields).
LIMERICK (SH v Laois): T Houlihan; D Reale, TJ Ryan, M Foley; O Moran, B Geary, M O'Riordan; P O'Grady, D O'Grady; M O'Brien, S Lucey, C Fitzgerald; A O'Shaughnessy, B Begley, M Keane.
LIMERICK (SF v Donegal): S Kiely; S Gallagher, J McCarthy, P Browne; C Mullane, S Lavin, A Lane; J Galvin, J Stokes; P Ahern, D Reidy, S Buckley; J O'Brien, M Crowley, M Reidy.
