Kerry blow as James O’Donoghue faces second shoulder op

James O’Donoghue is facing a second major shoulder operation that will rule him out of action for Kerry for up to six months.

The Legion star dislocated his troublesome right shoulder again in the replayed Kerry SFC loss to South Kerry last month and has succumbed to the inevitable, opting to undergo a second shoulder procedure at the Santry Sports Clinic next week.

Depending on the speed of his rehabilitation, O’Donoghue will be out of action until next summer, and will miss Kerry’s entire National League campaign — the second season in a row that has happened.

Legion’s extended involvement in the Kerry and Munster Club football championships delayed a final decision on whether the 25-year-old would opt for repeat shoulder surgery after the problem resurfaced in Kerry’s All- Ireland quarter-final victory over Kildare in August.

But the fact that it popped out again in the closing stages of the replayed Kerry senior final rendered the debate moot. O’Donoghue, with his shoulder heavily strapped, returned to the fray in extra-time against South Kerry, but the Killarney club came up agonisingly short, losing by a point.

The surgery route is a major blow to one of football’s premier forwards, but also a significant loss to Kerry, who will again be short several senior figures in the Allianz League, due to post-season surgery.

Peter Crowley (shoulder), Anthony Maher (hip), and Paul Geaney (hip and shoulder) have all had major procedures since the All-Ireland in September, and will miss the league games up to April at least. Mikey Geaney (back) had surgery in August and will return for the league.

O’Donoghue had surgery on the shoulder after the successful 2014 All-Ireland campaign and it was anticipated at the time that the operation would resolve the problem. But an innocuous-looking fall in the blow-out of Kildare dislocated the shoulder again. With specific rehab work and heavy strapping, Kerry managed the problem through August and September.

However it has now got to the point where another operation and a protracted period of rehab is called for.

Renowned orthopaedic surgeon Hannan Mullett will perform the surgery next week.