Injury-hit Wexford shuffle the deck

Wexford, who are severely hampered by injuries, have managed to name a side that contains only one newcomer to championship duty for their Leinster hurling quarter-final match with Dublin at Nowlan Park on Sunday.

Daragh Ryan, who has been named at centre half forward, is the sole championship debutant on the team. However, a series of injuries - two of them incurred in training last weekend when Rod Guiney sustained a broken finger and Garry Laffan suffered a broken bone in his hand - means that there are a number of enforced positional switches as the Wexford selectors utilise their available resources to the full.

Three other players who could have expected places in the starting team are also unavailable. Ryan Quigley (pulled hamstring), Dave Guiney and Eugene Furlong, who suffered an eye injury in a challenge match with Waterford earlier this month, are all absentees and, in the circumstances, the management have adapted quite well in naming their team.

The substitutes list, however, will not be finalised until later in the week but Quigley, despite nursing that hamstring strain, will be included amongst them.

Paul Codd will captain the side for the first time in a championship game and he has been given the left half forward position in a line that also features debutant Ryan and Larry Murphy.

Rory McCarthy, rather than filling one of the attacking options, has been asked to partner Adrian Fenlon at midfield, a position that had been earmarked for Quigley. Liam Dunne, who missed last year's championship campaign due to a serious leg injury, returns to the pivotal centre back position and he will be flanked by Declan Ruth and Larry O'Gorman.

In the full-forward line, the mercurial Michael Jordan has been given a start beside two of the team's most experienced campaigners, Tom Dempsey and Martin Storey.

Waterford have suffered a big blow in the run-up to the Munster senior hurling championship meeting with Limerick at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday with the withdrawal of Tony Browne. The All Star has been forced to pull out of the team due to an ankle ligament injury sustained in training. A decision on his replacement has been deferred.

Clare's Ollie Baker, meanwhile, expects to have overcome his ankle injury in time for the Munster hurling championship semi-final with Tipperary on Sunday week.

The midfielder, who is battling an ankle injury, has been unable to take a full part in training for over a week but he hopes that continued treatment will enable him to be available.

There is very different news from the Offaly hurling and football camps. Brian Whelahan has finally resumed training after a long-term injury and management are confident he will be fit enough to face either Wexford or Dublin in the Leinster hurling semi-final on June 20th, but footballer Sean Grennan sustained a hamstring injury last weekend and he is not expected to be fit for the provincial quarter-final with Kildare on Sunday fortnight.

Meanwhile, the Tipperary county board yesterday lodged an objection with the Munster Council - under Rule 104 of the Official Guide - seeking a replay of the controversial provincial football championship game at Tralee last Sunday. Kerry won by 1-11 to 0-8, but their goal, scored early in the game by Gerard Murphy, was clearly shown in television replays to have been scored after the ball had gone wide. The provincial body are likely to consider the appeal this weekend.

WEXFORD (SH v Dublin): D Fitzhenry; C Kehoe, G Cush, S Flood; D Ruth, L Dunne, L O'Gorman; A Fenlon, R McCarthy; L Murphy, D Ryan, P Codd; T Dempsey, M Storey, M Jordan.