Mayo midfielder Matthew Ruane will miss Mayo's round two qualifier clash with Down in Newry following a broken collarbone sustained in training on Friday night.
The injury occurred during a clash between the A and the B side during training at MacHale Park, Castlebar.
The Breaffy man had teamed up very successfully with Aidan O’Shea, particularly as a scoring option, forming one of the strongest midfield partnerships Mayo have had in recent years. They dominated the middle sector in last month’s Connacht semi-final defeat to Roscommon.
It is not clear how long Ruane will be out but initial reports suggest he could also miss the next round of the qualifiers should Mayo beat Down on Saturday,
The return of Seamus O'Shea and Donie Vaughan gives Mayo manager James Horan a few options for midfield while the return of Cillian O'Connor after playing 20 minutes in a challenge game against Clare is also encouraging ahead of the must-win clash in Newry.
