News round-up: Team captain Charlie Carter has failed once again to secure a starting place in the Kilkenny line-up to play Wexford in the NHL Division One Group One game at Nowlan Park on Sunday, a game which Brian Cody's men still need to win to be sure of a place in the final.
Originally dropped for the game against Tipperary a fortnight ago - which Kilkenny lost - Carter again failed to find a starting place on the team that beat Cork last Sunday. His appearance on the sideline in Páirc Uí Chaoimh went some way to dispelling rumours of a rift with manager Cody.
The only changes Cody has made for Sunday are injury enforced. PJ Ryan takes over in goal for James McGarry, while Michael Kavanagh is replaced in defence by James Ryle.
There is only one other positional switch, with Conor Phelan moving to full forward, and Martin Comerford dropping back to wing forward. Phelan made his senior debut against Cork, scoring 0-1, while Comerford was held scoreless.
It has also been revealed that the injury suffered by McGarry in the win over Cork is more serious than first suspected. McGarry's leg is now in plaster after he broke a bone above his ankle during the latter stages of the game, and is expected to be out of action for up to six weeks - and will miss the final on May 5th should Kilkenny progress.
Kavanagh's finger injury is thought to be less serious, but another major concern for Cody is forward John Hoyne, who has been dogged by a groin injury.
Like McGarry, his main concern now is to be fit for the county's first game of the Leinster championship on June 7th, when they play the winners of the preliminary round.
Cork manager Donal O'Grady has also made some minor alterations to the team to play Galway at Pearse Park, where victory would give them a chance of making the final - provided either Tipperary or Kilkenny slip up.
Diarmuid O'Sullivan returns from a hand injury to the defence instead of Mick Fitzgerald, while Michael O'Connell, who was injured in Sunday's loss to Kilkenny, is replaced indirectly at midfield by Derek Barrett, who starts alongside John Gardiner.
As a result, Cork start with their fifth different midfield pairing of the last seven games. There is one further change in the attack, with Timmy McCarthy coming in for Ben O'Connor, while Setanta Ó hAilpín, who made his first senior start against Kilkenny, is once again named at corner forward.
Elsewhere, the series of hurling coaching sessions in Dublin under Nicky English start this week. The opening session, for third level students interested in coaching, takes place in UCD this evening, with two sessions, divided into Northside and Southside Dublin, taking place tomorrow.
Meanwhile, an unusual presence on GAA fields last night was former international soccer player Niall Quinn, who played with Eadestown against neighbours Rathcoffey in the Kildare Junior B League.
Quinn, who now lives in the area and previously played minor hurling for Dublin, indicated to club members he wished to play with the club, and chairman Seán Sergeant gave the go-ahead.
KILKENNY (SH v Wexford): PJ Ryan; J Ryle, N Hickey, P Larkin; R Mullally, P Barry, JJ Delaney; D Lyng, P Tennyson; M Comerford, H Shefflin, T Walsh; DJ Carey, C Phelan, E Brennan.
CORK (SH v Galway): D Óg Cusack; W Sherlock, P Mulcahy, D O'Sullivan; T Kenny, R Curran, S Óg Ó hAilpín; J Gardiner, D Barrett; T McCarthy, N McCarthy, S McGrath; S Ó hAilpín, J Deane, A Browne.
