Cork injury update: Shane Kingston and Seán O'Donoghue main worries for Waterford game

SHANE Kingston and captain Seán O’Donoghue are the main injury doubts for Cork ahead of Sunday’s Munster SHC opener against Waterford at Páirc Uí Chaoimh (4pm).

O’Donoghue, who was appointed skipper by new manager Pat Ryan upon his appointment, lifted the Canon O’Brien Cup and Co-op SuperStores Munster Hurling League trophies in January but he was forced off injured in the Allianz Hurling League opener against Limerick in early February with a dead leg.

Recovery has been slow and he didn’t feature in the rest of the league but has been back in training since March.

Kingston sustained a hamstring problem in the wake of the league semi-final defeat against Kilkenny at the end of last month but Ryan is hopeful that he can play a part against Davy Fitzgerald’s side.

“It’s a case that, if we had another two weeks, Seán definitely be starting,” he says, “but it’s up in the air at the moment.

“He’s back in training and playing in matches, it’s just about whether he has enough done.

“Hoggy, who was injured for a bit during the league, Séamus Harnedy and Deccie Dalton are all perfect. They’re all back in with the last four or five weeks.

“Shane Kingston’s back in as well. He tweaked a hamstring after the Kilkenny match but he’s available for selection.

“Whether he has enough done to start is another thing, especially with two games in six days, but he’s definitely going to come into consideration for the 26. There’s no reason why he couldn’t be involved.

“Conor O’Callaghan and Cathal Cormack are the only two players that aren’t available for selection, obviously bar Mark Coleman and Alan Connolly. Cathal has a groin problem and Conor has a quad.”

The Waterford game is quickly followed by the home game against Tipperary on Saturday week, May 6. Given the quick turnaround, a strong start to the campaign would be a big help to Cork’s ambitions.

“You’re not really going to get any time to prepare for Tipp, as such,” Ryan says.

“A lot of the stuff that you’re doing is based around how you can play against both teams. Obviously, you’ll try to tweak little things for the second week but our focus is on our first match.

“If you can get momentum and a good start, that’s important. 

Waterford really put it up to Limerick, they probably got as close as anyone has over the last couple of years, so obviously that’s going to be a huge game for us.”

Waterford come to Páirc Uí Chaoimh on the back of an encouraging display against Limerick at FBD Semple Stadium last Sunday, the Déise going down by just two points, 1-18 to 0-19.

TWO SIDES

Cork’s extra time off could be advantageous against a side that had to put a lot into their game against the All-Ireland champions but, equally, the match sharpness could stand to the Suirsiders.

Ryan is trying not to get too bogged down in such factors.

“There’s two sides to it – are you under-cooked or are you well-rested?” he says.

“Ultimately, these are things that you know in advance and you plan for. Whatever way the game goes on Sunday, we won’t be complaining about having to go out six days later against Tipperary. We knew with five or six months that that’s the way it is.

“Obviously, we want a huge performance from ourselves against Waterford and if you can get that, momentum will bring you into the next game.

“The main thing is focusing on what’s at hand. As I’ve said before, with Munster you can see it’s a dogfight, you saw that last year and this year again – Waterford were unlucky not to beat the All-Ireland champions and Tipperary beat Clare, who got to the final last year.

“The key is to get five points somewhere, which definitely ensures that you make the knockout stages.”