He suffered tendon damage in his right ankle during the first half of the game, and was replaced by Barry O'Driscoll in the 20th minute.

Afterwards Cork manager Conor Counihan said that it was "a pretty minor ankle strain" and that the management are "very hopeful that he would be OK for next week".

However, the Éire Óg clubman met with a specialist today for results of a scan and it turns out that the injury is more serious than Counihan first thought.

A statement this afternoon from the Cork County Board confirmed the injury and said: "In the event that Cork progress in the Championship, the injury will be monitored on a week-to-week basis."

It is yet another injury setback for the reigning All-Ireland champions to deal with. Their forward ranks have been hit by cruciate injuries to Ciarán Sheehan and Colm O'Neill, while John Hayes quit the panel in March.

Meanwhile, Goulding's replacement against Down, Barry O'Driscoll, was also in the wars.

It turns out that O'Driscoll fractured his jaw during a short, nine-minute spell on the pitch. The Nemo Rangers youngster shipped a heavy 'frontal' challenge from Gerard McCartan close to the Down square.