PROMISING Cork hurler Pádraig Power has been dealt another crushing injury blow that will rule him out for the rest of the season.
Power, 23, had to be replaced in the 17th minute of the National League clash with Limerick at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Saturday.
Cork boss Pat Ryan revealed afterwards that he was likely to be out of action for six weeks after dislocating his shoulder.
Ryan has now trimmed his panel for the 2025 season and Power’s name was included on the 37-man list that was announced on Tuesday evening.
However, the Blarney forward will not play for his county again this year as it has since emerged that he also ruptured his anterior cruciate knee ligament in the 1-16 apiece draw with the Treaty.
It is rotten luck for Power, who was considered a legitimate contender to secure a starting berth in Ryan’s side for this year’s Championship.
Scoring a combined tally of 2-6 from play across the two finals, he emerged as a hot prospect as Cork won the All-Ireland Under-20 titles of 2020 and 2021.
Power also missed most of last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery. He returned in time to appear off the bench in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final win over Offaly and the semi-final victory over Limerick.
The new season got off to an impressive start for Power, who bagged 1-4 as Cork eased past Wexford in their Division 1A opener.
But he now joins a growing list of sidelined Rebel forwards that already includes Séamus Harnedy, Conor Lehane, Ben Cunningham and Declan Dalton.
Harnedy is unavailable for a number of weeks with a thumb injury, while Lehane is set to miss the next six weeks having also dislocated his shoulder against Limerick.
Dalton, who was red-carded in the defeat of Wexford, will serve the second game of his two-match suspension when Cork travel to Thurles to face Tipperary on February 22.
Cunningham is another former Under-20 star whose chances of establishing himself at senior level have been hindered by injury problems.
A three-month lay-off is expected for the St Finbarr’s attacker after he picked up a significant hamstring injury while on Fitzgibbon Cup duty with UCC last week.
