With one obvious exception, both Cork and Clare report clean bills of health for Sunday's Munster hurling final. Whereas Clare have yet to settle on a replacement for the injured Jamesie O'Connor, Cork are thought likely to name an unchanged team for the Thurles meeting, the fourth in five years between the counties.

O'Connor broke his arm in the semi-final replay against Tipperary and has just had his plaster replaced with a lighter cast. The alternatives for his place on the team when it is named tonight are believed to be PJ O'Connell, Fergie Tuohy and Conor Clancy.

"Jamesie might be back for the All-Ireland semi-finals but it's pot luck, they can't give him a firm date," according to Clare trainer Michael McNamara.

If Cork are unchanged it will be a vote of confidence in what was largely an experimental side going into the Munster semi-final against Waterford. Of the six debutants, midfielder Mickey O'Connell was the most impressive with an eight-point tally.

It was a particularly notable performance given that O'Connell had been off the panel a few months ago. "He was off at the start of the year," said manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy, "and maybe needed a shaking-up but he went away and worked at his fitness and played very well with his club. We were very happy with the way he responded."

In contrast to Clare, who have featured in the last three Munster finals, this will be Cork's first under the new dispensation which allows the beaten finalists in the province and in Leinster to proceed to the All-Ireland series.

"That's a new situation for us," according to Barry-Murphy, "but when you're in charge of a team you can't think about the possibilities involved in losing a match."

Meanwhile Galway go into next weekend's replay with Sligo with an injury concern regarding wing forward Paul Clancy who was injured in the last-minute incident which led to Galway's equalising free-kick, scored by Padraig Joyce.

Clancy's injured ankle is the most pressing of manager John O'Mahony's worries. Other difficulties appear to have cleared up. Jarlath Fallon's injured finger had healed sufficiently for him to be named on the starting 15 for the drawn match in Sligo and O'Mahony duly announced as much on television.

But on the way out of the dressing-room, Fallon twisted his ankle and aggravated an injury he had picked up in a challenge match with Fermanagh a couple of weeks ago. As a result, he was unable to start although he was eventually introduced to the fray in the second half.

Midfielder Kevin Walsh suffered a dead leg and a knock on the calf but it is hoped that this will have cleared up by the weekend.

Niall Finnegan was set to miss all of the Markievicz Park match although he passed a fitness test on Saturday. "The problem with Niall," said O'Mahony, "was his match fitness but we had to bring him on when we did (at the end of the match to replace Clancy). Hopefully we can get a bit of football into him this week and sharpen him up."

For the Leinster semi-final clash at Croke Park between Meath and Offaly, there are a couple of injury concerns. Offaly's Sean Grennan and Phil O'Reilly are both struggling to be fit for the match but Meath have more mixed news.

Ireland captain John McDermott will again be available after missing the comfortable win over Wicklow because of the flu. His replacement on that occasion, Jimmy McGuinness, is in turn doubtful because of an industrial accident at Tara Mines where he works.

The mishap left him badly bruised - "black and blue from the back of his knees to above his hip," according to Meath public relations officer Brendan Cummins. Better news is that Nigel Nestor is making quicker progress than thought and may be available, although he unlikely to start. Barry Callaghan is also struggling with a groin injury.

Armagh's Diarmuid Marsden is nearly ready to be considered for a starting place and is the only question mark over a full selection for Sunday's Ulster semi-final against Derry. Marsden has been plagued with a groin injury since the spring and has only been able to make a minor contribution since.