Galway's Aaron Niland set to miss All-Ireland U20 final against Clare

HUGE LOSS: Galway U20 starlet Aaron Niland is not expected to be available for Sunday’s All-Ireland final. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile.

Galway U20 starlet Aaron Niland is not expected to be available for Sunday’s All-Ireland final against Clare in Thurles.

An ankle injury is set to sideline the Clarinbridge man who has impressed at both U20 and senior level this year.

Speaking to the Connacht Tribune, Galway U20 manager Gavin Keary conceded: “Aaron obviously got a very bad injury, it’s clear for the whole country to see, he’s trying desperately hard but unfortunately it looks like it’s unlikely he will feature.

“It’s very important when you are talented as these guys are, a few guys involved in the senior squad. It’s a very busy time, they’ve a Leinster final the following week as well, we would still hold hope on that as well, it would be great if they can feature.”

The final in FBD Semple Stadium comes six days before the seniors’ Leinster final where Jason Rabbitte is expected to feature. The Athenry player came off the bench in the U20 Leinster final win over Kilkenny.

Senior manager Micheál Donoghue will hope to have Cathal Mannion available to face Dublin in Croke Park after he missed the final round win over Wexford in Chadwicks Wexford Park on Sunday.

Like Niland, Mannion is suffering from an ankle issue, which he picked up in the win over Offaly.

Meanwhile, Antrim hurler James McNaughton has praised former manager Davy Fitzgerald for his commitment to the county over the past two seasons.

“The man's been up for the past two years and put his heart and soul into it,” he told “BBC Sport” following Sunday’s win over Carlow. “It hasn't worked out how we'd have liked with some of the performances, but a lot comes down to the players as well.

“He took a lot of flak and it wasn't right a lot of the time, so it's good to get a good performance out for him because there is hard work put in and I don't care what people say, but he's brought us on a bit.

“When he first came up, we thought it was going to be a lot different. There was a lot of optimism, it just didn't work out but I've a lot of time for him and always will.”

Fitzgerald’s outgoing coach and selector Aaron Graffin is the early favourite to succeed the Clare native. If so, he would be the first native manager since Neal Peden in 2019.