John Meyler said he hopes Seamus Harnedy will be eligible to play in Cork's Munster championship opener and said he presumed that the Imokilly player was suspended for today's 'relegation' play-off game with Kilkenny.
Cork came from five points down at half-time to beat Kilkenny by two points (2-15 to 1-16) in Nowlan Park in a game to determine which division either team would be placed in for the 2020 league.
Harnedy, one of Cork's most influential players since 2013, was sent off for lashing out at Tipperary's James Barry in Cork's one-sided loss in Páirc Ui Rinn last weekend.
The CCCC insisted this week that Harnedy was eligible to play in today's play-off, but Meyler told RTÉ Sport afterwards that he thought he was suspended and thus didn't include him.
Kilkenny's Conor Delaney, sent off against Wexford last week, finds himself in a similar situation, eligible for today's game but not for the Leinster championship opener, but Brian Cody, likewise, left him unused this afternoon.
"It (Harnedy appeal) hangs with the appeals process," Meyler told RTÉ Sport.
"That's the county board's job. Our job as management is to manage the team. Please God, we'll get him off for 12 May. As far as I was concerned, I thought he was suspended for today so we didn't include him."
Asked whether there was a deal arranged between Cork and Kilkenny that neither player would be included, Meyler said "I've nothing to do with anything."
The worth of the fixture had been questioned given the low stakes involved. Defeat did not officially mean demotion due to the restructure of the league.
However, Meyler stressed that any visit to Nowlan Park to play Kilkenny is worthwhile.
Any time you can come to Nowlan Park and play Kilkenny, it's always a good day
"There was a massive appetite. Any time you can come to Nowlan Park and play Kilkenny, it's always a good day. It sharpens up your hurling. It's eight weeks tomorrow until the first week of the Munster championship. We blooded young (Robert) Downey and young (Ger) Mellerick in midfield, only 19, there today. That gets them to opportunity for them to play and for us to see what they're like.
"At times, we played really good hurling. But other times in the first half, we had opportunities we didn't take. Our shot selection was poor in the first half and we were lucky to be only five points down at half-time. But we settled it down. The goal from Jack O'Connor was critical in the end and that was the difference between the two teams.
"We were annoyed with our performance against Tipperary. To come up to Nowlan Park and get a win is good for confidence. It'll facilitate us heading into the championship and that's what it's all about.
"We'll get a lot of homework done in the next few weeks and that'll stand to us in the Munster championship."
Páirc Ui Chaoimh has not been used since the pitch cut badly during the league double header of 3 February but Meyler is adamant it would be ready in time for their provincial opener in mid May.
"We will be back in Páirc Ui Chaoimh. It's a fantastic stadium. It's just that the surface is not great but that'll be ready for 12 May, have no doubt about that.
