Hurling

Disaster for Cork hurling as Colm Spillane ruled out for the season with cruciate ligament tear

The Cork hurling infirmary is becoming increasingly populated these days with defender Colm Spill...

Off The Ball

Hurling

Off The Ball

The Cork hurling infirmary is becoming increasingly populated these days with defender Colm Spillane expected to be out for the rest of the season with a torn cruciate.

This recent blow for the Rebels stands alongside Seamus Harnedy who is currently nursing a hamstring twinge from their League opener against Galway and Aidan Walsh who sustained a broken nose against Waterford.

Spillane's injury also occurred in that Division 1A defeat and in an interview with the Evening Echo, manager Kieran Kingston confirmed that Spillane has suffered the season ending injury.

Helmet not much use to Cork's Aidan Walsh tonight v Waterford as he has a suspected broken nose.

— Colm Keys (@KeysColm) February 20, 2016

The disappointed head coach said:

''The news is devastating, firstly for the player himself and it is a huge blow for us as a management team. Colm went off injured in the second-half last Saturday night and, whilst we were hoping the injury was not too serious, the scan has revealed the worst.''

''He’s a big loss to our plans going forward because he was going very well. The injury is similar to the one Christopher Joyce sustained last year and all we can do now is give Colm every support during his stay on the sideline and welcome him back when the time comes again.

Injury Blow for Colm Spillane: - Our starman has received the dreaded cruciate injury: - https://t.co/Q8GHLbW79E pic.twitter.com/bAvp4h8Q9V

— Castlelyons GAA Club (@castlelyonsgaa) February 23, 2016

''He’s only 22 so he’s young enough to come back as good and stronger than ever.''

A stray swing of the hurl left Aidan Walsh with a broken nose and Cork selector Pat Ryan told the Irish Examiner that he remains a doubt for their next crunch League tie against Dublin. More positively for Cork fans however, is Seamus Harnedy's progress with his hamstring who has a good chance of being fit for that game. But Ryan insists they will continue to monitor him with care.

Ryan said:

''Aidan’s nose is broken, It was just one of those things, I don’t think it was malicious, the referee just missed it on the night. Seamus Harnedy (who pulled a hamstring against Galway), we’d be positive enough about him but we won’t take a chance with him either. He had trouble with the hamstring last year as well and missed nearly ten weeks altogether with two spells of injury. If he’s not 100% we won’t play him against Dublin, so we’ll have to see how he goes.''

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