Ben O'Connor confirms Seán O'Donoghue as major doubt for Tipperary clash

The results of a scan on Seán O'Donoghue’s hamstring injury this week will determine if he is available for Cork’s opening Munster SHC clash with Tipperary on Sunday week.

The Inniscarra man was forced off just before half-time in last weekend’s Allianz HL Division 1A final loss to Limerick at TUS Gaelic Grounds and manager Ben O’Connor is steeling himself for the possibility of his absence for the Thurles clash.

“Seán O'Donoghue could be in bother, I'd say,” O’Connor said at a press event at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Tuesday.

“He did a hamstring; a hamstring is two or three weeks anyway. He's going for a scan this evening [Tuesday] or tomorrow morning.

“He got a knock on Sunday just before half-time and the hamstring as well. I think he got a knock in the back and he came off for a bit of treatment. But he had a pinch in his hamstring as well.

“We'll know more tomorrow about that I'd say but at the moment it looks like he's in a bit of bother.”

As well as O’Donoghue, Diarmuid Healy is Cork’s biggest injury worry, with a quad problem having already ruled him out of the Tipp clash and the one at home to Limerick a week later.

Beyond that, O’Connor is reluctant to make any major pronouncements.

“He'll have another one [scan] this week, so that's the way it's going with that,” he said.

“He's trying to hit all the markers to get there. But, at the moment, Duds is in a bit of bother too.

“In saying that, I think Duds only played the first two or two and a half [league] matches so we've known for a long time that Duds is in bother. There's no point rushing him at this stage either. He's been out for seven or eight weeks.

“If we rush him back and he does it again, that's his championship over. We'll give him every chance to make the team but at the moment it doesn't look like he'll be available.”