New injury blow for Offaly hurling star

OFFALY hurling star Adam Screeney has received a new injury blow and looks like facing another lengthy period on the sidelines.

The attacking ace sustained a fractured ankle during Monday's Leinster U20 Hurling Championship defeat by Dublin in Newbridge. Offaly senior hurling manager Johnny Kelly said the exact extent of the injury has to be determined by a scan in the coming days as the ankle is still badly swollen but he is bracing himself for bad news and it looks like it is a fracture.

Screeney had only recently returned to action following an extended period on the sidelines with a groin injury. The Kilcormac-Killoughey man is still managing that injury and the latest one means that he is facing a couple of months out.

A fractured ankle will rule him out for Offaly's remaining Leinster Senior Hurling Championship games against Kilkenny, Wexford and Antrim.

Screeney received lengthy treatment after hurting his ankle during the first half of Offaly's 4-12 to 0-17 loss. He played on but wasn't comfortable on it and it swelled up after the game.

Offaly play Kilkenny in the Leinster SHC in Nowlan Park on Saturday and Screeney was a big part of their plans.

While the same hunger didn't looked to be there and they never recaptured the same intensity that made them such a powerful force last year as they won the All-Ireland and Leinster U20 hurling title, injuries were a big factor in Offaly's demise this year. Ter Guinan, Ruari Kelly and Daniel Hand all missed Monday's defeat and getting injured players right will now be a major priority for Offaly GAA.

Young Offaly footballers also experienced a horrific run of injuries after they won the All-Ireland U20 football title in 2021. Cormac Egan, John Furlong, Keith O'Neill and Kieran Dolan were among the players hit with a serious run of injuries – Dolan is still out while it has taken to now for Egan, Furlong and O'Neill to fire on all cylinders and Furlong is still managing a groin injury.