With the All-Ireland quarter-final against Galway less than a fortnight away, Clare say that midfielder Ollie Baker will take his place. Baker exacerbated ankle ligament damage in the Munster final defeat by Cork and was thought in some quarters to be a likely absentee until next year.
Nonetheless team trainer Michael McNamara said yesterday: "We are reasonably confident that Baker will be fit to play. Galway have been somewhat of an unknown quantity in recent years and if we are not as strong as possible we could be in trouble against them. We have to pick it up ourselves and for the county.
"The ankle injury is an ongoing problem and I presume it ideally needs a long rest. Because of the championship that hasn't been possible and he has played on - which has been possible in Ollie's case because the injury doesn't deteriorate even if recovery is delayed. We need all our players at this stage."
Jamesie O'Connor's broken arm is a less flexible ailment and the initial prognosis that it would keep him out until the All-Ireland semi-final at least hasn't really changed. "It's a difficult type of injury," according to McNamara. "The break was in the forearm and that is healing well but the twisted elbow is proving more troublesome, more difficult than we imagined."
Meanwhile ahead of Sunday's Connacht football final in Tuam, there is no panic in the provincial council about the local authority finding that Tuam Stadium, the venue for Galway and Mayo's clash, does not meet public hygiene and sanitation standards.
"The stadium committee are working on the matter," according to Connacht Council secretary John Prenty, "and they have a lot of work done. They've been given until the weekend to sort it out and Seamus Kelly (the venue's event co-ordinator) is working on it all day."
The objections relate to the toilet facilities which were found to be inadequately equipped and not to have attendants on the door.
The coming weekend is a busy one on the football front and team news is expected today and tomorrow. All-Ireland champions Galway have injury concerns about three players. Paul Clancy is still suffering from the ankle injury he picked up in the drawn match with Sligo.
Gary Fahy and Padraig Joyce are also troubled, in both cases by dead legs. All three players are expected to be fit for selection when the team is picked tomorrow evening.
Opponents Mayo are also expected to name their side tomorrow evening and have only one concern, the injury to Noel Connelly which may keep the wing back out of the reckoning.
Munster finalists Cork will tonight name their side for the Pairc Ui Chaoimh meeting with Kerry. Corner back Michael O'Donovan is back in training but will not be considered.
Similarly Liam Honohan is back in action after damaging his ankle ligaments in the National Football League quarter-final win over Derry in April but not considered ready to make an appearance for the county despite having lined out for his club.
Selector Paddy Sheahan is sanguine about his team's prospects despite a very uninformative run to the final. Big wins over Waterford and Limerick can have taught the Cork management little about the side.
"It's true we haven't really learned much," said Sheahan, "but we're also that little bit fresher and we have the run in the league behind us. If we win it will have been a great run-in for us and if we lose, Kerry's will have been better."
Kerry will announce their side either tonight or tomorrow morning.
Dublin and Laois, who meet in the Leinster semi-final replay at Croke Park, will name their teams on Thursday night. Dublin have no injury worries aside from the obvious absence of Paul Curran with a broken collarbone.
His position at centre back will most likely be filled by Shane Ryan or Jonathan McGee, the Kilmacud player who is the only specialist in the role on the panel apart from league incumbent Ian Robertson who has since been transformed into a full forward.
Laois have only one injury to bother them, a groin injury picked up by Stephen Kelly. Beano McDonald, the star minor of the last three years, is back in training after completing his Leaving certificate. Kevin Fitzpatrick has a broken nose but will not undergo surgery until after the Dublin replay.
Tom Cribbin's team has plenty of cover in the forwards and even at centrefield where Noel Garvan, IT Tralee's Player of the Tournament in their third successive Sigerson Cup win last March, also offers an option. Laois have been impressive in recent challenge matches, drawing with Kerry, 113 to 1-13, and defeating Mayo 018 to 1-13.
