Galway forward Jarlath Fallon will be out of football for the rest of the championship, having damaged cruciate knee ligaments during a club match on Sunday.
The 1998 Footballer of the Year was taken to Dublin for a scan yesterday and the extent of the damage was confirmed last night. The news is disastrous both for the popular forward and for Galway's chances of emerging from the province again.
"To see a player invest nine months of hard work in preparing for a championship only to have it cut off with weeks to go is terribly disappointing," said manager John O'Mahony last night.
"Naturally Ja is very down at the moment. He had made tremendous effort to prepare for this championship and I felt that he was really beginning to spark. It's a massive loss to Galway football because he was a player whom the fans loved to see."
O'Mahony learned of the injury on Sunday evening but only became aware of its severity yesterday. "There was a full round of championship fixtures on in Galway and I was initially pleased to hear that there had been no draws, which would have given us a clear run-in to the semi-final against Sligo. Then it became apparent that Ja was in trouble," said O'Mahony.
Fallon was playing with Tuam Stars against UCG (NUIG) in Caherlistrane and was leaping to fetch a ball when the injury occurred. He was taken off early in the first half.
"It is one of the trepidations you face at this time every year when the club championships take off," said O'Mahony. "It is a terribly frustrating thing, both for Ja himself and the rest of the squad. But we have to go on with our preparing."
The last few weeks have been turbulent for the 1998 All-Ireland champions, regarded by many as real contenders again this summer. Influential defender Sean Og de Paor picked up a month's suspension arising from an incident during Galway's comprehensive dismissal of New York early in the month. That ban concludes just two days before Galway's visit to Markievicz Park for an eagerly awaited duel with Sligo on July 9th.
It also remains to be seen if midfielder Kevin Walsh can recover full fitness ahead of that semi-final.
Meanwhile, both the Derry and Antrim squads are hopeful that the Ulster Council will grant them at least a 10-day rest before their Ulster semi-final replay.
"I'd be very surprised if it was on this Sunday. Neither team is really prepared for it and it has to be remembered that all these guys are amateur," said Antrim manager Brian White.
With Clones scheduled to host Armagh and Fermanagh and Casement Park the venue for the All-Ireland Feile, it seems inevitable that the replay will be deferred until Sunday week.
It remains to be seen, however, whether the tie will move to Clones, which would perhaps suit Derry better than Casement, Antrim's home ground.
"Well, Casement holds no real advantages for us," said White. "It is a venue which is accessible for both counties but I mean, the ground hardly gave us any advantages during the first half on Sunday."
