Donegal captain Ronan McDermott faces lengthy lay-off with ACL injury

Ronan McDermott of Donegal kicks a point despite the attention of Sam O Dowd, left, and Andrew Kavanagh of Wicklow during the Nickey Rackard Cup final

placeholder image — Ronan McDermott of Donegal kicks a point despite the attention of Sam O Dowd, left, and Andrew Kavanagh of Wicklow during the Nickey Rackard Cup final

Burt have won their opening three matches in the Donegal SHC but their hopes have been dealt a blow with the news that Donegal skipper and dual club player Ronan McDermott will play no part due to an injury that will keep him sidelined into the New Year

Donegal and Burt hurling has been dealt a severe blow with the news that county team captain Ronan McDermott could be out for a year with a serious injury.

McDermott sustained the dreaded ACL in the first half of Donegal’s defeat to Wicklow in the recent Nickey Rackard Cup final in Croke Park on June Bank Holiday weekend when he was bearing down on the Wicklow goal and was “sandwiched” between two opposition players.

“There was a high ball coming in towards and I was following its flight when I was sent crashing two the ground,” McDermott said. “The goalie collided with me as well as a defender at the same time and I fell to the ground. I felt something go in my leg and knew right away. I played on for the rest of the game and I guess it was pure adrenaline that kept me going.”

Dual player McDermott was in Ballybofey on Friday night supporting his Burt clubmates in a tight battle with Sean MacCumhaill’s, with the Hibernian Park outfit winning 2-15 to 2-9 in the Donegal SHC. The result means Burt maintained their 100 percent record in the group stages of the competition, with three wins from three.

“It is so hard to sit and watch games as I love the game so much and being involved but I will be trying to get back as soon as I can,” he said, ahead of his trip to the Santry Clinic in Dublin to get an operation and is hopeful of a return to playing by late spring of 2024.

“It will be a long process and it will be very strange for me to be out for so long, but you just have to get on with it,” McDermott added.