Delayed starts for Canty and Quirke

CORK will be without All-Ireland winning captain Graham Canty and goalkeeper Alan Quirke for the opening rounds of their NFL Division 1 campaign.

Both are recovering from injuries that hampered them at various stages last season with Canty suffering from a hamstring problem and Quirke battling an ankle complaint. The duo have targeted a mid-March date for their comeback which could see them in line to figure in the Round four tie at home to Down on March 12th.

They will miss the opening round trip away to Kerry on Sunday week, the Croke Park clash with Dublin on February 19th and the home game against Monaghan on February 27th. Both are set to work on individual rehab programmes over the coming weeks in a bid to clear up the injuries.

Long-serving defender Anthony Lynch, who was dogged by injury woes last season, will also be absent for the early stages of the league as he recovers from a minor groin operation.

Full-back Michael Shields flew to Australia after the team’s holiday in South Africa on a pre-planned trip and while he will miss the opening tie with Kerry, the St Finbarr’s defender will return in time for the second round game against Dublin. Nemo Rangers duo Paul Kerrigan and Brian O’Regan will be concentrating on club duties ahead of Sunday’s Munster club final against Dr Crokes and irrespective of the result, it’s unlikely they’ll be drafted in for the Kerry game seven days later.

The bulk of Cork’s All-Ireland winning side got their first run out of the year last weekend when they comfortably defeated Meath in a challenge at Newbridge. Nicholas Murphy was unable to travel because of a family christening and instead linked up with the McGrath Cup squad for Sunday’s semi-final defeat by Kerry.

The Cork management are hopeful of organising a challenge game against Justin McNulty’s Laois side this weekend but that will depend on the outcome of the Midlanders’ O’Byrne Shield tie against Meath in Páirc Tailteann tonight.