CILLIAN O’CONNOR says he is hopeful of regaining full fitness in time for Mayo’s Allianz Football league final against Galway after picking up a slight issue with his knee.

Mayo, who were unbeaten in Division 1 until their defeat to Monaghan at the weekend, will take on the Tribesmen in Croke Park on Sunday before commencing their Connacht SFC campaign the following weekend.

Manager Kevin McStay told the media this week that O’Connor and Enda Hession were expected to miss out on the league decider this weekend and that the Roscommon game was a more likely return date for the pair.

O’Connor has experienced setbacks with injuries in recent seasons, and while he says he’s not out of contention just yet, he also admitted that Sunday might still come too quickly for him.

“Not quite. I’m still hoping for this weekend. The physio and backroom haven’t fully made a call on it yet. I’m in limbo a bit. I’m trying to push for inclusion but it might just be too tight. I’ll have to decide in the next day or two.”

On the nature of his injury, he added:

“Just the back of my knee. Below my hammer, just had a bit of pain in it two weeks ago. I have been doing modified training since and bit of rehab. It feels like it is improving.”

Mayo submitted a request to move the league final to Saturday to account for their Connacht clash with Roscommon, and ensure they have an extra day’s rest before their provincial quarter-final. That request was denied but O’Connor says that there is no major disappointment among the squad at the decision. 

“No. I think it was always going to be tight for whoever got to the league final. Once I saw the schedule, I kind of always knew there was a possibility that it could materialise. I would say the organisers would have liked if the two teams had a fortnight, or a longer break after the league final.

“It hasn’t panned out that way. It is a tight schedule from January to July, so I do understand that they have to get games in.”

At the outset of the season, doubts were raised about Mayo’s chances for 2023 considering Lee Keegan’s retirement and the loss of Oisín Mullin to a deal with AFL side Geelong Cats. There’s also been a change in management with Kevin McStay taking over from James Horan last August.

But Mayo’s performances and results to date suggest they have survived the transition. O’Connor says their summer results will determine whether or not they can count 2023 as a success.

“It’s very early in terms of the season just yet. A couple of those big games in the league could have gone either way and went down to the wire. Two of our games were draws; we could have dropped points in either of those. So, it’s early days yet. We’d be hoping to be better as the season goes on.

“They could have gone either way some of them, they were pretty tight games. The Armagh game was a draw, it could have easily gone against us. It is often a chance to spend some time with lads away from the actual pitch.

“If you go up the day before you get time in the hotel, you get to watch the soccer or the rugby, play pool or table tennis – whatever, just get to know lads which I think is important. I’ve always enjoyed those away weekends. Like any group they help you come together.”

Cillian O’Connor has teamed up with Allianz Insurance to look ahead to the upcoming Allianz Football League Division 1 Final this weekend. It’s an all-western Allianz Football League Division 1 final for the first time since 2001, when Mayo beat Galway by a point. 

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