The Clare hurlers have been dealt a nightmare blow with the news that Hurler of the Year Shane O'Donnell has undergone shoulder surgery which will keep him out for the rest of the season.
A rocky start to the year for the Brian Lohan's side has just got even rockier with the news that the Éire Óg Ennis club man will be unavailable for their Liam MacCarthy defence.
“It’s very unfortunate for Shane himself and the team as well,” said manager Brian Lohan.
“We looked at every option with Shane but the medical advice was that surgery was 100 per cent necessary, so we wish him well and a full recovery.”
O'Donnell inspired Clare to All-Ireland glory last year, starring throughout the Munster championship before they triumphed in the final against Munster rivals Cork.
The 30-year-old suffered a shoulder injury after a collision during the second half of last year's All-Ireland final - prompting a stoppage in play - though it's unclear if that's the reason he had to go under the knife.
His preparations for the All-Ireland final were less than ideal in the first place as he pulled his hamstring on the Tuesday before the final against Cork.
He recovered to start the final, setting up Clare's first goal for Aidan McCarthy but was forced off in the 80th minute, seemingly due to the hamstring injury, and missed extra-time as Clare edged Cork by a point.
The injury continued to hamper O'Donnell, forcing him off during Éire Óg Inis club clash with Clonlara in the group stages of the Clare SHC, live on TG4. As he'd done last year, O'Donnell sat out the early rounds of this year's league and was expected to return for the championship but that will not be the case.
Clare have already endured a trying start to their campaign losing to Kilkenny, Galway and Wexford in successive rounds with relegation to Division 1B now staring them in the face. This comes as a further blow to the cause.
O'Donnell confirmed on the night of last year's All-Ireland win that he aimed to be back for the 2025 championship, but that's now been taken out of his hands.
"America will have to wait a year. There'll be another year," he told Marty Morrissey on The Sunday Game.
On a night of high-profile exits, John Conlon and Shane O'Donnell tell the Clare people what they want to hear regarding 2025.
📺 Watch The Sunday Game on @rte2 & @rteplayer https://t.co/AKAre5FHdN pic.twitter.com/ufOnFjiv4M
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 21, 2024
But having suffered a serious concussions in 2021, and having been left 'disconsolate' after the hamstring injuries during last season's club campaign, it's certainly been an injury-interrupted few years for O'Donnell.
Read More: Hurling Power Rankings After Four Rounds Of The Allianz Leagues
