Mike Finnerty
WESTPORT defender Lee Keegan is likely to be out of action until at least the end of June after having surgery on his dislocated shoulder last week.
The former Footballer of the Year sustained the injury against Tyrone in the National League on Sunday week last, and Mayo manager Stephen Rochford confirmed last weekend that Keegan ‘will be out for three to four months’ as a consequence.
That would rule the four-time All Star out of the entire Connacht championship — were Mayo to progress to the provincial final.
However, Keegan should be back in time for the ‘Super 8s’ games which begin on July 14/15 were Mayo to qualify for this stage of the All-Ireland series.
The news was more positive on Cillian O’Connor who is expected to return to full training in the build-up to the Connacht championship clash with Galway on May 13.
O’Connor tore his hamstring in that league match against Tyrone and is looking at another four to five weeks on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Rochford confirmed that Donie Vaughan and Chris Barrett are both likely to feature for their clubs in the coming weeks as they recover from their respective hip and knee injuries.
And the Mayo boss also shed some light on Keith Higgins’ situation; the four-time All Star defender hasn’t played football for Mayo since last year’s All-Ireland Final, but he did line out with Ballyhaunis in the Mayo Senior League last Saturday evening.
“We had left Keith to his own devices and hurling until the league was over so we will talk to him this week,” explained Rochford. “We will look forward to hopefully having him on board.
“Keith has given great service to it, and all indications at the start were that he just wanted some time off. He’s mixed that in with a bit of hurling which was absolutely fine with us. “He’s kept his fitness levels up. We spoke in January and said we’d speak again at the end of the league and that’s what we’ll do.”
