Captain Seán O’Donoghue returns to the Cork team for the first time since February as Cork make four changes for Sunday’s Munster SHC clash with Clare at Cusack Park (2pm).

O’Donoghue, named as skipper by Pat Ryan after his appointment as manager, lifted both the Canon O’Brien Cup and Co-op SuperStores Munster Hurling League in January but he was forced off with a dead leg in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group A opener against Limerick on February 4.

That injury took longer than expected to clear but O’Donoghue was named as a standby player for the opener provincial championship games against Waterford and Tipperary and has been given the number 4 jersey for Sunday.

He replaces Eoin Downey while Ger Millerick also drops to the bench. Tommy O’Connell, who started at midfield against Tipp, is again named at right half-back while Luke Meade, Conor Cahalane (for his first championship start of the year) and Conor Lehane come into the attack. The injured Robbie O’Flynn and Shane Barrett are the players to make way while Seán Twomey is added to the substitutes.

CORK (SHC v Clare): Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig); Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), Damien Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra, captain); Tommy O’Connell (Midleton), Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), Robert Downey (Glen Rovers); Brian Roche (Bride Rovers), Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville); Declan Dalton (Fr O’Neills), Séamus Harnedy (St Ita’s), Luke Meade (Newcestown); Conor Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers), Conor Lehane (Midleton).

Subs: Ger Collins (Ballinhassig), Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neills), Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s), Pádraig Power (Blarney), Alan Cadogan (Douglas), Shane Kingston (Douglas), Seán Twomey (Courcey Rovers)m Shane Barrett (Blarney), Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s).