Sheridan opts out of Meath panel

GAELIC GAMES:Joe Sheridan has opted out of the Meath panel for the remainder of their season, citing staleness and a lack of appetite for football. Team selector Dudley Farrell last night confirmed Sheridan's departure but said they were fully behind his decision and that the door would be open for his return.

The powerfully-built forward featured in both the drawn and replayed Leinster quarter-final against Dublin, and while Sheridan was substituted the second day, he was still expected to start for Meath in their first-round qualifier against Down on Saturday week. Instead he met with manager Colm Coyle ahead of training on Tuesday evening and told him of his decision to opt out, despite being only 23.

"Joe just feels he has lost his bite," explained Farrell, "and needs a break. He actually played for his club Seneschalstown at the weekend, but came to us after that, and just said he was feeling stale, had lost his appetite for football. We had no indication of this and it was a big surprise to us and all the players, but we have to respect his decision, and we're 100 per cent behind him in what he wants to do.

"If the appetite is not there you can't force it, and he does have a lot of football under his belt over the last four or five years. He's a loss, for sure, because on his day Joe is a handful for the best defender in the country, but we haven't seen the last of him in a Meath jersey, no doubt about that."

Louth have been rocked by a series of defections ahead of their qualifying game against Limerick, also on Saturday week, with at least three players simply walking out of manager Eamonn McEneaney's panel. It has been reported that five players refused to travel home on the team bus after the quarter-final defeat to Wexford last Sunday week, and since then David Reid and Jamie Carr have both departed for the US, with Mark Brennan set to follow. JP Rooney and Nicky McDonnell, who were both substituted against Wexford, have left the panel, as has the experienced Christy Grimes.

McEneaney refused to comment on any disciplinary issues but said the management had dealt with the matter "internally".

In hurling, meanwhile, Kilkenny will be without corner forward Aidan Fogarty for Sunday's Leinster final against Wexford at Croke Park. Fogarty, who was man of the match in last year's All-Ireland final, damaged ankle ligaments in the semi-final win over Offaly and has yet to fully recover. Richie Power is expected to start. Midfielder Derek Lyng remains the other big concern with a groin injury, with Cody announcing his line-up tomorrow.

Cork, as expected, welcome back Donal Óg Cusack, Diarmuid O'Sullivan and Seán Óg Ó hAilpín for Saturday's round one hurling qualifier against Dublin at Parnell Park. This time, however, manager Gerald McCarthy is without the injured Tom Kenny and Niall McCarthy with Kevin Hartnett moving from left-half back to midfield, team captain Kieran Murphy of Erin's Own taking over McCarthy's centre-half forward position, and Neil Ronan coming into the side at corner forward.

Clare manager Tony Considine has an extensive injury list ahead of his qualifier trip to Antrim, including Jonathan Clancy, Fergal Lynch, Bernard Gaffney and Conor Plunkett. Midfielder Brendan Bugler is definitely out with a broken bone in his hand, as are the suspended trio of Colin Lynch, Alan Quinn and Barry Nugent. Alan Markham still has the option of appealing the ban he picked up following last month's Semple Stadium fracas, although that now looks increasingly unlikely.

CORK (SH v Dublin): D Óg Cusack; B Murphy, D O'Sullivan, S O'Neill; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Óg Ó hAilpín; K Hartnett, J O'Connor; B O'Connor, K Murphy (Erin's Own), P Cronin; N Ronan, K Murphy (Sarsfields), J Deane.