Tommy O'Connell ruled out of Cork's All-Ireland quarter-final against Offaly

Cork will be without midfielder Tommy O’Connor for the county’s All-Ireland SHC quarter-final with Offaly, with Tim O’Mahony also a doubt.

The Midleton man, who has started all five championship games for Ben O’Connor’s side this season, sustained a hand injury during Sunday’s Munster SHC final defeat to Limerick at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh and was substituted late in the game.

Tests have confirmed a fractured thumb, while O’Mahony is dealing with a dead leg that could also keep him out of the game at FBD Semple Stadium on Sunday week, June 21.

“Tommy has a broken thumb,” said Cork manager Ben O’Connor, “so he’s definitely out the next day.

“If we got beyond that, we’ll see then how it heals.

“It looks like Tim is out as well, he has a dead leg. It’s not as serious, hopefully, but we’re waiting to see what happens.

“You’re going to pick up knocks and bangs. I’m sure now that Tommy is going to try his hardest to get it healed as fast as possible but it has to knit.

“There’s no rushing it – if you did that and got a bang on it again, your year is over.”

 In better news, O’Connor is optimistic that captain Darragh Fitzgibbon will be available for Offaly, having missed the win over Clare and Sunday’s final due to appendicitis.

“We’d hope that he’d be back,” he said.

“He’ll have to get on the field before the weekend, in contact, if he is to be in contention for Sunday week and he sees confident that he will be able to.

“He has been doing a bit of running but the contact will tell.”