THE CLARE HURLERS have been hit with an injury setback as All-Ireland winning captain Patrick Donnellan has torn his cruciate ligament and is set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

Donnellan suffered the injury in a challenge game last Saturday when in action for Clare against Munster club champions Na Piarsaigh.

There were fears that Donnellan had suffered cruciate damage and that has now been confirmed this afternoon by The Clare Herald.

The O’Callaghan Mills club man is due to meet the Clare medical staff over the next few days to ascertain the extent of his injury.

Donnellan was appointed Clare captain in 2012 and went on to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup after their final replay win over Cork in 2013.

His most recent competitive appearance for Clare was in their Munster senior hurling league win over Kerry in Sixmilebridge.

Clare face Limerick tomorrow night in the Gaelic Grounds in the final of that pre-season provincial competition.

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