Whelehan ruled out of Laois clash

Offaly's Team of the Millennium member Brian Whelahan is out of Saturday's Leinster championship opener against Laois.

The midland rivals will go head to head in Tullamore on Saturday evening but Birr centre-back Whelahan will be a notable absentee.

He broke his thumb during a club game on May 1 and is facing the prospect of missing a potential semi-final clash with Dublin on June 13.