Injury blow for Henry Shefflin as Oisín Salmon ruled out

INJURY BLOW: Cork's Shane Barrett and Oisin Salmon of Galway. Pic: INPHO/Bryan Keane

Galway manager Henry Shefflin’s defensive options have been lessened with the news that corner-back Oisín Salmon is facing a “lengthy period” on the sideline because of the shoulder injury he suffered during Saturday’s Fitzgibbon Cup final.

Salmon had to be helped from the field towards the end of the Fitzgibbon final after damaging his shoulder. The University of Galway defender later departed the SETU Waterford venue by ambulance.

The Galway hurling camp confirmed to the Irish Examiner on Tuesday that Salmon has suffered a high-grade AC joint injury to his right shoulder and is facing a lengthy period on the sideline as a result. Corrective surgery remains a possibility.

The severity of the shoulder injury rules Salmon out of the rest of the league and casts doubt on how much of the summer’s championship he will be available for.

Salmon’s injury is a blow to Shefflin as the Clarinbridge clubman had been going well for county and college in recent weeks. Indeed, his first half performance in the Fitzgibbon decider was one of the few highlights on an otherwise chastening afternoon for the University of Galway.

The 2018 All-Ireland minor winner made his league debut when introduced as a half-time sub against Wexford in Round 1 earlier this month. He was promoted to the starting team for Cork’s subsequent visit to Salthill but found himself walking out to the sideline early in the second half after picking up a second yellow.

Elsewhere, Cork footballer Cathail O’Mahony is to see a specialist in the coming days to learn the full extent of the hamstring injury he suffered while lining out for UCC in last week’s Sigerson Cup final.

Following Sunday’s league defeat to Dublin, Cork manager John Cleary said that O’Mahony’s injury “doesn’t look good at the moment” and that he will be sidelined “for the next few weeks anyway”.

O’Mahony previously suffered a hamstring tear during the 2021 Allianz League that finished his inter-county season.