NFL

Diehl surgery forces Giants’ second line shuffle in as many days

BUILDING BLOCKERS: Jim Cordle (left) and Justin Pugh work on a blocking drill earlier this summer. Two days ago, neither was penciled in as a starter on the offensive line, but after David Diehl (inset) had surgery on his thumb yesterday on the heels of David Baas’s knee injury, Cordle is in at center and Pugh will be in at right tackle. (AP(2))

One offensive line shuffle can be uncomfortable, but two in as many days is, well, disconcerting. But there’s no panic around the Giants even after the news David Diehl, the right tackle who moved to left guard a day earlier, is out for six weeks following surgery on his right thumb yesterday.

“They’ll be fine,’’ declared Shaun O’Hara, the former Giants center, who happened to be at training camp yesterday in his role with the NFL Network. “The reason I feel absolutely confident in saying that is because of [line coach] Pat Flaherty. This group is always the most prepared group.

“We used to tease Flats all the time because he used to give us a tip sheet before every game. It used to start out as one page and wind up as three pages. No offensive line is more prepared and no offensive line can handle like this better than this group and that’s because of Pat Flaherty.”

Under Flaherty, the players on the line have certainly had to make adjustments at the drop of a hat, or a helmet.

“Unfortunately we’ve had experience with guys going down,’’ guard-then-center-then-guard Kevin Boothe said. “So we’ll respond.’’

This all means the new center is Jim Cordle, who has never started a game in his three years with the Giants.

The ever-changing line, hit with injuries galore this summer, this week was dealt two significant blows. Center David Baas came out of the Colts preseason game with a sprained left medial collateral ligament, a knee injury that makes his availability for the Sept. 8 opener against the Cowboys precarious at best. Diehl came out of that game with an injury to his right thumb, which he said Tuesday was no big deal. Tom Coughlin called the thumb injury a “nuisance.’’

The Baas injury prompted these changes: Diehl from right tackle to left guard, Boothe from left guard to center and rookie Justin Pugh in as the new right tackle.

Those changes lasted one day.

Diehl practiced Tuesday with a cast on his right hand. After an MRI and examination yesterday by Dr. Robert Hotchkiss at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, it was determined the injury required surgery. The procedure, according to a source, was to repair a dorsal capsule injury in order for Diehl to return this season at 100 percent. The time frame for his return is six weeks.

The latest offensive line re-shuffle has Boothe back at left guard and Cordle moving in at center.

“I think these two games are definitely critical,’’ Cordle said on Tuesday, before he knew he’d be slotted in as a starter. “They’re definitely going to make or break me.’’

Cordle was initially passed over after the Baas injury, but the Diehl injury forced a reevaluation.

“We thought that was the best move for now,’’ Coughlin said. “We’re really excited about the way Cordle played the other night. Hopefully he’ll keep right on going.’’

Diehl came into his 11th training camp with the Giants trying to hold onto a starting job at right tackle, with Pugh, the first-round pick, expected to put up a strong challenge. Pugh missed 11 days after suffering a concussion, seemingly giving Diehl a stranglehold on keeping the job. Now Pugh is a starter and Diehl is on the mend.

“We’ll be fine,’’ Boothe said. “Obviously Dave’s injury is a tough one. If anybody can play through it, Dave can so for it to be that significant it’s something that needed attention now. We’ll regroup. ‘’

Diehl did not play well against the Colts, allowing a 13-yard sack of Eli Manning.

“The doctor really felt he needed to have this thumb corrected so that he could go forward,’’ Coughlin said. “He’s been in a lot of pain. He’s a tough guy, you’d never even know it until the doctor kind of jumped in. He’ll get this fixed and then he’ll be back.’’

Pugh, wearing a Syracuse football shirt, declared “I’m ready’’ as he is thrust into the starting lineup.

“Coach Flats will definitely make sure I’m covering all the bases and going over game film,’’ Pugh said. “You got to make sure you go over the extra things the Jets bring to the table. It’s exciting I get to play.’’

paul.schwartz@nypost.com