Cork hurling manager Gerald McCarthy has introduced three new players to his panel ahead of the Munster championship clash with Clare on Sunday week. McCarthy has drafted in John Halbert, Jason Barrett and Shane Murphy to replace the injured Paudie O'Sullivan, Jonathan O'Callaghan and Pat Fitzgerald.
Halbert, from Watergrasshill, won a Munster minor medal in 2005 in a team that was managed by current senior selector Ger Fitzgerald. An ace free-taker who played with UCC in this year's Fitzgibbon Cup, he replaces the unfortunate O'Sullivan, whose season has been ended by a cruciate knee-ligament injury.
Barrett, who was a senior panellist in 2004, offers cover for Cork at midfield and wing forward while Murphy replaces Erin's Own club-mate Pat Fitzgerald and provides cover in the continued absence of Wayne Sherlock from the squad.
It is notable that there are six players absent from the Cork panel that contested last year's All-Ireland senior hurling final - Pat Mulcahy, Brian Corcoran, Sherlock, Killian Cronin, Conor Cusack and Ciarán McGann.
Meanwhile, full back Diarmuid O'Sullivan is due to visit the Eye Clinic at Cork University Hospital again today and hopes to receive the all-clear to resume training next week.
O'Sullivan is making good progress after he received an accidental blow to an eye playing for Cloyne against Douglas last weekend.
Meanwhile, the Kelly brothers, Eoin and Paul, are expected to be fit for Tipperary's Munster championship meeting with Limerick on June 10th, despite picking up injuries during last Tuesday night's challenge defeat against Offaly.
Star forward Eoin sustained a hand injury during the three-point defeat against John McIntyre's Offaly, and Tipperary finished the game with 14 men after Paul limped off with a hamstring injury.
Owing to exam commitments, Tipp had just 15 players and four subs for the game and manager Michael 'Babs' Keating will be an interested spectator at the weekend to see if Paul Kelly lines out for Mullinahone against Killenaule in the South Tipperary club championship semi-final.
"Paul pulled up with about three minutes to go," said Keating yesterday. "I spoke to the physio and he said it's not bad, but you have to be careful when a player pulls up with any sort of problem. Eoin will be okay; he took a belt on the hand, but it's not serious."
Finally, former team captain John O'Connor has emerged as a major injury concern for Wexford's Leinster championship clash with Dublin on June 9th.
O'Connor - who lifted the Bob O'Keeffe Cup in his debut season back in 2004 - broke a thumb playing for Rathnure last weekend and now faces a race against time to make the bench for the Nowlan Park showdown with the Dubs.
Manager John Meyler will sweat it out this weekend with a raft of club championship fixtures down for decision, but he has been boosted by the return of Stephen Banville to full training following his recent hamstring problems.
Banville showed no ill-effects in a recent challenge outing against the Kilkenny outfit O'Loughlin Gaels and will be in championship action for Shelmaliers this weekend.
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