Shefflin to miss final due to knee injury

GAELIC GAMES:SO KILKENNY'S worst fears have been realised. Henry Shefflin will watch next month's All-Ireland hurling final from the sidelines, following confirmation yesterday that the knee injury sustained in Sunday's semi-final win over Cork was indeed the dreaded cruciate ligament tear – and worse still for the second time in his career.

It means the 31-year-old must face into another period of between six to eight months rehabilitation, with some sort of surgery also likely in the short term.

The timing and extent of Shefflin’s misfortunate injury is further underlined by the fact it’s the left knee he has damaged this time, while it was the right knee he similarly damaged during the 2007 All-Ireland final, and which subsequently kept him out of hurling for six months.

“I am so disappointed I don’t know how I feel,” declared Shefflin, shortly after being told the results of a scan he underwent earlier yesterday in consultation with top orthopaedic surgeon Dr Tadhg O’Sullivan.

“I am devastated. I was hoping against hope that it was something else but the surgeon has confirmed my worst fears.”

Shefflin retired after 26 minutes of Sunday’s game after falling awkwardly, following a high catch, and, amazingly, the injury occurred in almost the exact same area of Croke Park where he sustained the same cruciate damage in the 2007 final, against Limerick, when it then forced him to retire at half-time. “I heard some pop,” he added. “I had an idea I was in a bit of trouble but I was hoping, I was hoping it wasn’t what I feared it might be.”

Kilkenny’s much-lauded hurling strength will be now put to the ultimate test, although there is some consolation in that the shoulder injury sustained by centre back Brian Hogan, at an earlier stage in Sunday’s game, is not as bad as initially feared.

Hogan has sustained a minor tear to the AC joint of his right shoulder, but is expected to be back training within a fortnight, and is therefore set to play against either Tipperary or Waterford on September 5th at Croke Park.