Seamus Callanan has suffered a fresh blow in his battle to see Championship action this year.
Tipperary boss Colm Bonnar confirmed this morning that the former Hurler of the Year has suffered an infection in a hand injury sustained at a training session last month.
It was already anticipated that Callanan would miss this weekend’s crunch encounter with Waterford at Walsh Park and the meeting with Clare the following weekend.
However, the Drom and Inch star’s summer now appears to hangs in the balance with the games coming thick and fast.
Two teams from Tipperary, Waterford, Clare, Cork and Limerick will be out of the Championship by the middle of May in a cut throat Munster round robin series.
Callanan is in a race against time to see any action in Munster this year and will be hoping Tipperary qualify for the All-Ireland series.
“In Seamie’s case, it’s a bit of a nightmare for him because the infection got into the bone,” said Bonnar, speaking ahead of his first Championship match as Tipp boss.
“So it’s going to be a bit longer in terms of trying to manage that injury he got.
“The break was bad enough, but the infection has carried through. It’s going to be very difficult for him.
"Someone pulls a hamstring and you would probably miss the League because it's five games played over seven weeks.
“A hamstring injury is normally four to eight weeks. Two injuries and you could miss the whole season, League and Championship.
Meanwhile, Bonnar admits it’s going to be strange that two top Munster teams will be out of the Championship by mid May, with this the first year of the new split season.
The All-Ireland hurling final is set for July 17, seven weeks earlier than its traditional slot on the first Sunday of September.
He said: "(It’s) difficult to get your head around it because by the middle of next month there are going to be two huge teams in Munster and two in Leinster out of the Championship.
“Normally you would think Championship should only be starting around the middle of May.
“That's going to be a big shock for a lot of the hurling world and whatever two teams in Munster it is.
“It is a crazy time to be out of hurling. It's hard to get your head around that when the games should only be starting.”
Bonnar has also noticed that players can no longer “winter well,” and if they’re not fit coming into preseason training they will “struggle.”
“Most of the club campaigns are finishing at the end of October - a lot of them are into November if they are into the final stages,” he continued.
“There is just no time off for players any more. It's a vicious circle.
“We have a six-week period coming to the League where we are officially allowed to train and if you are not fit coming in there, you are straight away struggling.
“You are probably not making the League. The League will be over before you get your fitness and before you know it the Championship is on top of you.
“It's totally different. There is a five-month window from January to May and that is your Championship season and it is over before you know it. It would be very unusual if they keep this format.
“It just means players, if they want to play for their county, they are going to have to keep that conditioning and preparedness constantly if they want to hurl at a high level."
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