CORK HAVE RECEIVED a welcome boost ahead of their crunch All-Ireland hurling qualifier against Clare with Shane O’Neill returning to training after an injury lay-off.

The defender missed Saturday’s win over Wexford with an ankle complaint but will begin preparations for this weekend’s Thurles showdown with the rest of the panel on Monday evening.

His return is a timely one for Jimmy Barry Murphy with Cork’s defensive options already stretched on the back of injuries to Christopher Joyce and Lorcán McLoughlin.

“His injury has cleared up – he got the all clear and will be back training with the squad tonight,” the Cork manager said in a statement released on the county’s website.

Damien Cahalane deputised for O’Neill at Innovate Wexford Park but you’d expect the latter to slot back into the defence when Cork meet Davy Fitzgerald’s side in Round 2 of the qualifiers.

The sides will renew acquaintances for the fifth time in the championship in the last three seasons but the stakes couldn’t be any higher at Semple Stadium with a place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals on the line.

The action will begin at 7pm and the game will be part of a triple header in Thurles with Dublin’s clash with Limerick preceding it at 5pm.

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