By Tomás McCarthy
Waterford defender Conor Gleeson will miss Saturday's All Ireland hurling quarter-final against Tipperary in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
The Fourmilewater man has been hit with a one-match ban after he received a straight red card during the win over Galway last weekend.
Former hurler of the year Dan Shanahan says that Gleeson will be sorely missed in the Déise defence.
"He is a tough man he plays full-forward for his club in football and when you're playing Ballincourty or Stradbally or the Dr Crokes in the Munster Club Championship he's being marked so I think he knows how to mark a person too.
"When you're up against the likes of Bubbles Dwyer or Jake Morriss who contributed 1-02 and 1-03 the last day you need that so he's going to be a huge loss.
"Shane McNulty or Shane Fives might go in there instead of him but I wouldn't be surprised also if Kieran Bennett goes back to corner-back and something happens to the wing-backs," Shanahan said.
6,000 supporters will be allowed to attend Saturday's game on Leeside.
