Kennelly injury woe returns

SYDNEY SWANS star Tadhg Kennelly will miss the club’s final two home-and-away matches but could be back for the Swans’ first game of the finals — if they qualify.

That is the sobering prognosis of Sydney’s club doctor Nathan Gibbs, after the Kerry star re-injured the knee originally dislocated in round five against Melbourne.

The injury flared up again in round 11 against Hawthorn, while the latest injury occurred at training last week.

“We had scans done and the important thing was there was no bone damage,” Gibbs said.

“The problem is that every time the knee dislocates, the medial ligament keeps tearing, and one makes the other worse.

“Tadhg will need surgery at the end of the season. For now, there is no exact time frame of when he will be back.

“It’s probably a four to six-week injury, so the best-case scenario would be that he would be back for the first final — that will then have been three-and-a-half weeks — that’s presuming we make it.”

Kennelly’s return would be welcomed by the Swans, who were yesterday still reeling from Saturday night’s draw with the Brisbane Lions.