Séamus Harnedy joins Cork injured list

Cork hurler Séamus Harnedy will be out for a three-to-four-week period after sustaining a thumb injury.

The St Ita’s attacker came on as a second-half substitute in the Rebels’ Allianz Hurling League Division 1A opener away to Wexford on January 25 but was not part of the squad for the draw with Limerick at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh last Saturday, having picked up the injury in training.

There is some consolation for Cork in that the coming weekend is their ‘bye round’ in the seven-team league before the whole league takes a break on the weekend of February 15/16, meaning that there will have been a three-week gap since the Limerick match by the time they take to the field against Tipperary in Thurles on Saturday, February 22.

Three-time All-Star Harnedy joins Ben Cunningham on the injured list, with the St Finbarr’s man having been forced off in UCC’s Fitzgibbon Cup win over MTU Cork last week. In addition, Pádraig Power and Conor Lehane both had to be substituted in Saturday’s draw with Limerick, having suffered shoulder dislocations.

The Tipperary game is the first of three in succession, with Kilkenny visiting the Páirc on Saturday, March 1 – a 5pm throw-in – and Cork then travelling to Cusack Park in Ennis eight days later for a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final against Clare (3.15pm).

There is then a two-week gap until the last league match, at home to Galway on Saturday, March 22, a game which has a 7.30pm throw-in time.