Bitter blow for Limerick as Galvin out for the season

Limerick's talismanic midfielder John Galvin has suffered cruciate knee ligament damage and will miss the rest of the season.

Galvin was one of the leading centre-fielders in the country last year. He was the driving force for Limerick in their Munster SFC final clash with Kerry, scoring a well-taken 1-02 and earning an All-Star nomination by the end of the campaign.

But he will miss Limerick's 2011 Championship run after sustaining a ligament tear during a challenge match against Down last weekend and receiving the results of a subsequent MRI scan.

The Croom clubman made his Senior Championship debut for Limerick back in 1999 and the Shannonsiders' upcoming Munster semi-final tussle with either Kerry or Tipperary will be the first Championship game he has missed since 2001.

He will undergo surgery in the meantime, which will repair the torn ligament and reset a broken bone in his knee.

A statement from the Limerick County Board said: "Everyone associated with Limerick GAA wishes John a speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing him back in the green jersey in the future."