Prendergast injury blow for Cork
Cork's Mark Prendergast is set to miss the All-Ireland hurling semi-final on August 10.
The Na Piarsaigh star broke a bone in his back in his club’s shock win over Nemo Rangers in the county football championship on Sunday week last.
Prendergast finished the game and the full extent of the injury was not known until he had an x-ray on Thursday.
The injury is expected to sideline the Na Piarsaigh man for four to six weeks.
Prendergast came on as a substitute for Diarmuid O’Sullivan after just 15 minutes of the Munster final and is seen as a key man in the Cork squad.
His injury is an even bigger blow to his club, who face Imokilly in the county SHC on Wednesday evening in Pairc Uí Chaoimh.
Indeed, the northside club must be starting to think they are jinxed with question marks over the participation of all their county players.
Setanta Ó hAilipín is suspended, while his older brother Sean Óg has not trained in the last week because of hamstring problems.
Meanwhile, in what will be another source of concern for Cork hurling manager Donal O’Grady, John Gardiner is suffering from a previously undiagnosed wrist injury.
“It’s very sore and he was hardly able to hit a ball when we trained on Saturday morning,” explained the Na Piarsaigh manager Joe O’Leary.
“He has had an x-ray on it, but it did not show up anything.”
Adding to the club’s list of woes, team captain Sean Guiheen is ill and could miss Wednesday’s game.
“At this stage, we are dreading training sessions because the only news we get at them is bad news,” said O’Leary.
Meanwhile last night’s All-Ireland HC quarter-final draw shortened the odds on Cork meeting Wexford in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Wexford were drawn against Antrim, while Tipperary face Offaly.
However, should Wexford beat Antrim, they would not be able to play Kilkenny as they met in the Leinster final and would thus have to play Cork in the semi-final.
