Fermanagh star Owen to have heart operation

It has been confirmed that Fermanagh defender Barry Owens will undergo a minor heart operation in the next few weeks which will see him ruled out of competitive football for the next few months.

The two-time All-Star is due to miss most Fermanagh's league campaign, but may see a return during the championship should the Erne County advance to the latter stages.

A statement released by the Fermanagh County Board today requested privacy for Owens and his family during this time.

"As you can appreciate with any operation there are concerns and risks and at this time we would appeal to the media to give Barry and his family privacy," the statement read.

"We all wish Barry a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back in competitive action for his club and county."

Meanwhile, the Fermanagh squad are stepping up their preparations for their upcoming National Football League Division Three campaign, which begins for them with a trip to Leitrim on February 3.

Following his side's McKenna Cup defeat to Derry on Sunday, Fermanagh manager Malachy O'Rourke said: "We came up short against an in-form Derry side, but in saying that we learned a lot about ourselves from the game.

"The real plus was the new players introduced into the panel were competitive and played with some confidence.

"They made plenty of mistakes at times over the three (McKenna Cup) games, but that is to be expected from inexperienced players, and they will get better as the season progresses."