Carroll suffers ligament injury

Injury will prevent former European Indoor 3,000 metres champion Mark Carroll from competing in this summer’s World Championships.

Carroll picked up a serious ligament injury while training at altitude in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the recent Boston Marathon.

After finishing sixth in last November’s New York Marathon, Carroll was planning a career over the distance, although he was adamant he would maintain his track interest.

However the injury has scuppered his plans to compete over 5,000 metres in Paris in August where he would have been making his fourth World Championships appearance.

Carroll 31, initially had an MRI scan and it showed negative.

However when returning to training the 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000m record holder still found himself running in pain.

Further consultation revealed a ligament had torn away from the bone. Although he is on the mend he has abandoned all plans to compete during the summer.

Carroll, eager to add the Irish marathon record to his already impressive tally, said: “I am in good shape from riding my bike but I am not going to rush back.

“Next year is an important year. I may run a marathon in late fall.”