THE CORK FOOTBALLERS have been hit with a major setback after key player Ruairi Deane has damaged his hamstring and undergone surgery in London to repair the damage.
The42 understands that the injury occurred in a training session in the build-up to Cork’s last league tie against Derry.
Deane then had an operation on his hamstring, which was damaged in the attachment close to his knee, last Saturday with the same surgeon dealing with him that had helped team-mate Brian Hurley recover from his serious injuries in recent years.
The Bantry Blues man is now facing a spell on the sidelines for a few months and will miss the current Munster championship schedule. It is believed that July is the target for a comeback date.
Deane, a secondary school teacher in Castletownbere, did not feature in that league win over Derry but had been to the fore in Cork’s previous four victories that has taken them to the brink of promotion from Division 3 of the Allianz football league.
The news is a major loss to Cork as he has become a highly influential player for their team in recent campaigns. A Munster U21 medal winner in 2012, he won an All-Ireland junior medal in 2013 but suffered an injury setback when tearing his cruciate in the 2014 Munster senior final.
He has established himself as one of Cork’s leading players over the past few seasons, nailing down a spot as a brilliant ball-carrier and scorer in the half-forward line.
Moyes will snap him up or even Allardyce at Everton!
Sign him up Dundalk!