Cork defender Sean O'Donoghue suffers hamstring injury
The Cork senior hurlers must plan without defender Sean O'Donoghue for the next few weeks as the defender recovers from an injury suffered in training last week.
O'Donoghue, who caught the eye in Cork's first league win of the NHL campaign over Tipperary, is understood to have picked up a hamstring injury and faces a number of weeks on the sideline. He will not figure for the Rebels this weekend against Westmeath when the Hurling League resumes.
The loss of the Inniscarra defender narrows manager Kieran Kingston's options, with Mark Ellis still sidelined. However, Na Piarsaigh's Christopher Joyce made a welcome return to the subs' bench for the Tipperary game and may come into contention for a starting spot, while Colm Spillane of Castlelyons played the entire Tipperary game after a nightmare 18 months overcoming back and Achilles problems.
Kingston will be hoping his UCC contingent come through Wednesday's Fitzgibbon Cup final (DCU Grounds, 7.30pm) unscathed - Robbie O'Flynn and Darragh Fitzgibbon were substituted late on in the Cork college's dramatic semi-final win over DCU last weekend but are expected to figure against IT Carlow.
UCC qualified for the final on the back of an injury-time sideline cut from yet another Cork player, Mark Coleman.
