It is the news no player wants to hear, but Antrim and Creggan star Conor McCann received confirmation that his season is over after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury (ACL).
Earlier this year, McCann had been a key part of the Antrim squad that secured promotion back to the Liam MacCarthy Cup following a dramatic win over Kerry in the final of the Joe McDonagh Cup in Croke Park.
It was a second title in three seasons for the Saffrons and McCann was the captain of the 2020 squad when they also saw off the challenge of the Kingdom in a final which was played behind closed doors due to the pandemic.
Read more: From Croke Park to Windsor Park, 10 GAA stars who have lit up the Irish League
Darren Gleeson only recently agreed a two-year extension to his term as Antrim senior hurling manager and the news that he’ll be without one of his most experienced players for 2023 is far from ideal, but McCann’s injury will also be keenly felt by his club.
McCann is a dual player with Creggan and won an All-Ireland Club JHC title in 2014 while he was a key player for the Kickhams as they won the Antrim Senior football crown last season.
It was while playing for Gerard McNulty’s side in their 2022 Championship opener that McCann sustained the dreaded injury.
He was forced off in the closing 10 minutes during their thrilling 1-10 to 0-13 draw with Lámh Dhearg with Ruairi McCann landing a late ’45 to salvage a draw for the county champions.
A scan revealed the full extent of McCann’s injury and he’ll play no further part for the Kickhams this season.
He’ll be just as big a loss to the Creggan hurlers as they continue their Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship campaign having lost the final last year to Carey.
With the split season set to continue next year, McCann will also be ruled out of Antrim’s 2023 Division One League campaign as well as their Leinster SHC round robin games.
Creggan have had more than their fair share of cruciate woes in recent times.
Conor Small and Liam Quinn both missed Creggan’s title-winning season with the injury. Quinn has only recently regained full fitness while Small is edging closer to a return.
McNulty is also without last year’s football captain, also called Conor McCann, as he departed for Australia at the end of last season, but former Antrim defender Ricky Johnston could feature in the coming weeks after returning from America.
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