Tipperary manager Michael Keating has ruled out calling up former All Star full back Philip Maher on an emergency basis for next Saturday evening's Munster hurling semi-final replay against Limerick in Thurles.
Regular full back Paul Curran was injured for the drawn match two days ago and after the match was stated to be out of contention for the replay.
Replacement Declan Fanning struggled in the position, a situation exacerbated by the deployment of a spare man in the full-back line as a response to the dismissal of Limerick captain Damien Reale.
Maher, who left the Tipperary panel earlier this year, continues to play for his club and could have been an option in any potential crisis.
"We have to plan without Paul. He has a broken toe and we have to get on with it," said Keating. "I'd rule out asking Philip Maher to come back because it wouldn't be fair on anyone.
"He had to leave the panel during the league for personal reasons that meant he couldn't give the commitment necessary to training.
"We left the door open for him if he changed his mind, but he hasn't been in a position to do that and we understand the situation. This is a championship replay and it wouldn't be fair to expect someone who hasn't been in training to walk into that sort of a game.
"Declan Fanning has played quite a bit at full back during the league and we'd be confident that his form then is closer to what he has to offer than the difficult circumstances on Sunday when the full backs were disrupted by having to provide the spare man."
RTÉ have announced they will provide live television coverage of the replay on Saturday night from Semple Stadium.
The broadcast will be the first of the station's on the busiest GAA weekend this year with three more live matches on Sunday, including the Cork v Waterford Munster hurling semi-final and the Dublin v Meath football replay simultaneously showing on RTÉ 1 and RTÉ 2.
Cork and Clare players will learn of their disciplinary fates in respect of last month's Thurles fracas when the Central Hearings Committee release their decision on the proposed four-week suspensions for eight players and €5,000 fines levied on the two county boards.
The CHC meeting, adjourned from last Thursday, resumed last night to hear the remaining evidence.
All parties will still have the right to appeal to the Central Appeals Committee, which are expected to meet tomorrow evening if necessary to accommodate Cork players whose match with Waterford is just days away.
Meanwhile, the Munster Council has advised those hoping to attend Saturday's replay to buy their tickets in advance from their county boards or clubs.
Tyrone attackers Tommy McGuigan and Niall Gormley could both be out of action for two months, manager Mickey Harte has revealed.
McGuigan broke a wrist and Gormley suffered a broken jaw in recent club games, and both have been ruled out of Sunday's Ulster semi-final against Donegal.
But their recovery time now looks like being much longer than initially expected, and they will miss the entire Ulster Championship.
"Tommy McGuigan is going to be out for a couple of months and Niall Gormley the same," said Harte.
Finally, Sydney Swans star Tadhg Kennelly once again failed to finish an AFL match, with the Listowel native carried off due to a knee injury after only a minute of last weekend's clash with Hawthorn.
