Liam MacCarthy favourites Cork have made three changes to their starting XV for Saturday’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship semi-final clash with Dublin.

Returning to the starting team are Niall O’Leary at corner-back, Rob Downey at centre-back, and Declan Dalton at wing-forward. Dropping out of the side are Damien Cahalane, Cormac O’Brien, and Séamus Harnedy.

Injury Shuffle Continues

The changes come as little surprise given the ongoing injury management challenges faced by Pat Ryan’s squad. Both O’Leary and team captain Rob Downey had only recently returned from injury when introduced during the thrilling Munster final victory over Limerick — a classic encounter ultimately decided by penalties.

Dalton, who was absent from the match-day squad for that final, is now fully fit and ready to start.

Harnedy & O’Brien Miss Out

During the week, Ryan confirmed that Séamus Harnedy would be ruled out with a hamstring injury, while Cormac O’Brien remained doubtful due to a quad issue. Neither makes the match-day 26, but Damien Cahalane is named among the substitutes.

Bench Boost – Millerick Returns

In better news for Cork fans, Ger Millerick returns to the panel after recovering from a broken finger and is named on the bench.

CORK Team to Face Dublin (SHC Semi-Final)

Cork Starting XV:
P Collins; N O’Leary, E Downey, S O’Donoghue; C Joyce, R Downey, M Coleman; T O’Mahony, D Fitzgibbon; D Healy, S Barrett, D Dalton; P Horgan, A Connolly, B Hayes.

Subs:
B Saunderson, D Cahalane, G Millerick, T O’Connell, E Twomey, L Meade, B Roche, J O’Connor, S Kingston, R O’Flynn, C Lehane.

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