Hughes ‘will make rapid recovery’

MONAGHAN boss Eamon McEneaney last night allayed fears over the seriousness of the injury sustained by captain Darren Hughes in yesterday’s league defeat by Dublin in Clones.

Hughes lay prostrate on the ground for several minutes after losing out to Dublin midfielder Denis Bastick in a 50-50 challenge and the skipper was understood to have suffered numbness down the side of one arm.

However McEneaney last night confirmed the injury was confined to muscles in and around the neck and chest area and that Hughes is set to make a rapid recovery.

There were also concerns for Laois goalkeeper Patrick Mullaney who was also stretchered from the field in a neck brace during their clash with Limerick.

“It was muscle damage,” said county board chairman Brian Allen last night. “That was the prognosis in the hospital and he was released from there.”