Clare hopeful Cunningham will make final

It’s a race against time for Clare’s Aaron Cunningham as he battles to be fit for Sunday week’s All-Ireland senior hurling final against Cork and then the All-Ireland U21 hurling final against Antrim six days later.

Wing-forward on the U21 team that defeated Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final in Thurles last Saturday, Aaron had just broken clear of his marker (32nd minute) when he pulled up in obvious pain. A bad hamstring tear was the immediate fear but, says Clare PRO Seán O’Halloran, this hasn’t yet been confirmed.

“They’re (medical staff) going to give it another day or two, let everything settle before they try to establish the severity of the injury.”

This doesn’t mean that the injury is being neglected – far from it. “He’s receiving cryotherapy treatment initially, the cold chamber, but they’re going to have to ascertain what grade of injury has been suffered before they get into the full treatment.

“There are three grades, from minor to serious, but nothing is known for certain yet. At the time it did look like a serious injury but Aaron has certainly not been ruled out from making either All-Ireland final, the senior or the U21. He will be given every chance to recover, that’s all we can say at the moment.”

It’s tough luck on a youngster who has already suffered more than his share of injury already this season. In Clare’s first league game, against Waterford back on February 24, the Wolfe Tones starlet had just come on as a sub, won possession, when he was the victim of a hard (but fair) challenge. “It left him with a dislocated shoulder,” Seán explained.

“And now this has come down on top of that. That’s hard on a player of any age but for someone as young as Aaron, it’s doubly so. Everyone is hoping that he makes it back in time, certainly for the U-21 final.”

* Hamstrings are a group of muscles located on the back of the upper leg and are a common source of injury in athletes. The severity of injury is classified according to the following grades:

* Grade 1 is a mild strain, with few muscle fibres being torn.

* Grade 2 is a moderate strain, with a definite loss in strength.

* Grade 3 is a complete tear of the hamstrings.