Costello back in Tipperary frame

Thomas Costello is in contention for a place in the Tipperary line-up for Sunday's All-Ireland hurling quarter-final at Croke Park despite still feeling the ill-effects of the rib injury sustained in the qualifier win over Galway last Sunday week.

The regular corner back took part in training over the weekend, though he sat out the practice game, and is expected to available for selection for Sunday's game against Offaly. Costello's injury meant he missed the second half of the one-point win over Galway, and was replaced for the remainder of the game by David Kennedy.

While it means all the players who started against Galway are available for selection for Sunday, manager Michael Doyle might decide against gambling on Costello when the team is announced after training this evening. Eugene O'Neill, who has been suffering from a more long-term injury, is the only other major concern ahead of Sunday.

The exact throw-in times for Sunday's two quarter-finals at Croke Park have yet to be announced, although the Tipperary-Offaly game will be preceded by the meeting of Wexford and Ulster champions Antrim.

The exit of both Waterford and Limerick from the hurling championship within the past week has brought some attention to the future of their respective managers, Justin McCarthy and Dave Keane.

McCarthy, however, has said he wouldn't be rushing into any decisions after his team were beaten by Wexford on Saturday evening. The pressure on Keane following Limerick's defeat to Offaly is a little heavier, despite it being his first season in charge. Yet his position won't be discussed until the next county board meeting scheduled for August 12th.

For Cork, who play in the first All-Ireland hurling semi-final on August 10th, the next few weeks will be anxious for centre forward Niall McCarthy and defender Mark Prendergast, who are both facing a race against time to recover from recent injuries.

McCarthy is struggling with a broken finger, while Prendergast, an early replacement for Diarmuid O'Sullivan in the Munster final win over Waterford, has recently been diagnosed with a fractured bone in his back that was sustained in the club football win with Na Piarsaigh over Nemo Rangers.

In football news, meanwhile, Laois have confirmed their intentions to appeal the straight red card issued to defender Kevin Fitzpatrick in the first half of Sunday's Leinster final, and which is set to rule him out of the All-Ireland quarter-finals on Sunday week. Fitzpatrick was seen to commit a late tackle on Kildare's Tadhg Fennin, yet Laois will contest it was a 50-50 ball rather than an intentional foul.

The Down footballers will be without two regular first-choice players for their All-Ireland fourth-round qualifier against Donegal in Clones on Saturday (4.15 start).

Midfielder Gregory McCartan is still sidelined following a straight red card in the drawn Ulster final against Tyrone - for which an appeal has already failed - and he will be joined in the exclusion zone by full forward Dan Gordon, who also saw a straight red in Sunday's replay.

Kildare play Roscommon in the remaining qualifier at Portlaoise (which has a 6.15 start, and is to be broadcast live on Network 2). Major doubts still surround the availability of team captain Anthony Rainbow and fellow wing back Karl Ennis, who both failed to play their expected roles last Sunday because of recent injuries.

Manager Padraig Nolan has said it would be later in the week before any decision could be made on their availability. And in the meantime there were several more players who had picked up knocks in the course of Sunday's game.

Finally, Fermanagh's joy at securing an All-Ireland quarter-final place has been slightly overshadowed by the injury to wing forward Tom Brewster, and which has cast some doubt over his fitness for the remainder of the season. Brewster was taken off early in the second half of Saturday's win over Mayo, and the injury is a recurrence of a groin problem that has dogged him in recent seasons.