Double blow for Cork footballers as Killian O’Hanlon becomes second ACL victim in three days

Cork's Killian O’Hanlon will miss the entire 2021 season. Picture: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

The Cork footballers have been dealt a double ACL blow as both Killian O’Hanlon and Aidan Browne suffered the season-ending injury during the past week.

Midfielder O’Hanlon, a first-team regular since the summer of 2019, ruptured both his anterior cruciate ligament and medial meniscus during training on Tuesday last and is set for a lengthy stay on the sideline.

O’Hanlon was the second Cork footballer in three days to rupture his ACL after defender Aidan Browne injured his knee at training last Saturday.

Browne’s ACL injury occurred during an innocuous collision with a teammate, whereas O’Hanlon’s was non-contact.

Both injuries have been described as terrible bad luck, particularly as Cork had left no stone unturned in their preparations from a sports science point of view under the watch of Cian O’Neill and S&C coach Kevin Smith.

O’Hanlon’s absence for the remainder of the 2021 campaign means management will have to settle on a new midfield partnership for the forthcoming League and Championship as it was O’Hanlon and Ian Maguire who operated in the centre of the field during last November’s Munster final defeat to Tipperary. O’Hanlon had been named at midfield for the preceding Munster semi-final win over Kerry, but spent the majority of the game at centre-forward. He kicked two points that evening at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Cork begin their Allianz League Division 2 south campaign against Kildare on Saturday, May 15 at Semple Stadium. Clare and Laois complete the Division 2 south group.