Paul Reid has failed to recover from the knee ligament picked up in training and will miss Sunday's Leinster championship opener with Meath.
Manager Paul Bealin had been hopeful the full-forward would be available for the clash at Croke Park but a fitness test last night ruled the Palatine man out.
Carlow, also without Liam Murphy (knee injury) and the suspended Mark Carpenter face an uphill struggle to advance to a possible quarter-final meeting with Offaly.
Despite having selection issues of their own, Meath are odds-on to condemn Bealin's side to the Tommy Murphy Cup.
Carlow: J Brennan; E Doyle, J Hayden, P Bambrick; P Cashin, M Nolan, A Curran; D Burke, P Walsh; B. Carbery, J Murphy, B Murphy; E McCormack, D St. Leger, JJ Smith.
