Tyrone will have to defend their All-Ireland football title next year without Enda McGinley, who will be out of action for up to a year after rupturing cruciate and medial ligaments in a club game.
McGinley, one of 11 All Star nominations from Tyrone, is facing surgery within the next few weeks, followed by a lengthy rehabilitation period stretching into the late summer of 2006.
Tyrone manager Mickey Harte said: "It certainly is a big blow. He's a very good player and he's a very versatile player. We have used his versatility to the maximum over the last season, and it's great to have players like that who can adapt and give you a big commitment in various parts of the field."
"He's obviously a huge loss to the club (Errigal Ciarán), and for himself it's a big loss, and to the county of course, we're very disappointed for him.
"But he's had a lot of setbacks before and he has fought back from them. I know that's the kind of individual that he is, and I'm sure he'll do the same again."
The injury-prone McGinley didn't start Errigal Ciaran's county football quarter-final clash with Moy because of a thigh injury sustained in the All-Ireland final against Kerry, and was stretchered off in the closing stages, having come in as a substitute 11 minutes into the second half.
Harte said: "He'll have to be in a cast for a number of weeks to get the medial ligament fixed first, and then get an operation on the cruciate.
"He was due to get a scan, but at this stage Louis, the physio is convinced that it's a very serious injury.
"If it's as bad as it sounds, you're talking late summer before he would be ready to play football again. It looks as if he's definitely out for next season."
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