Armstrong injury blow for Tribesmen

Galway manager Tomás O Flatharta will be without the services of forward Sean Armstrong for next week's Connacht SFC semi-final against Mayo.

Armstrong suffered a hamstring tear during a rehabilitation session last weekend, having only just worked his way back from a similar injury.

"It is very disappointing to have the hamstring go on me again. Mentally it is very tough to deal with - I just seem to be having a bad year with it," he told the Galway Independent.

"I have even been doing yoga two or three times a week to strengthen them as well as extra core work.

"I was on the verge of rejoining the lads in training in the next few days, but I pushed myself a bit hard during rehab on Sunday. I was mad keen to get back in contention for the Mayo game, but in one of those final sprints, I felt it go.

"Hopefully the boys can do the business against Mayo so I will have some chance of targeting a Connacht final as a comeback."

The Salthill-Knocknacarra clubman damaged his hamstring initially in a Sigerson Cup game with UL and made a successful return to club action in the first round of the Galway Championship last month.

"It is very disappointing to have the hamstring go on me again. To have all the work done and for it to go again is very frustrating," added Armstrong, who was one of only three scorers where Galway lost to Mayo in this year's Allianz Football League.

"You'd nearly prefer to break a bone - once it is healed that is it - but this just keeps happening. I am due to go for a scan shortly, but I'd imagine it is in the higher end of a grade 2 injury so I'll miss four to six weeks with it."

Meanwhile, Ronan McGarrity is back training after a long lay-off with an Achilles tendon injury but is not expected to feature for Mayo in Sunday week's provincial semi-final.

He sat out Ballina's Mayo Championship defeat to Shrule/Glencorrib last Sunday and is obviously very short of match fitness, with his club-mate Ger Cafferkey (hamstring) also doubtful.

Trevor Howley (knee) and Dermot Geraghty (hamstring) picked up knocks in club action, while Mayo manager James Horan will be pleased that dual player Keith Higgins, who is recovering from a torn hamstring, got some game-time with Ballyhaunis last Saturday in the Mayo Intermediate Championship.