Galway senior football manager Pádraic Joyce. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
By Cian O'Connell
Galway senior football manager Pádraic Joyce is hopeful Kieran Molloy and Seán Ó Maoilchiaráin will feature at some stage in the 2023 Championship.
Oileáin Árann clubman Ó Maolchiaráin suffered a serious knee injury in the 2022 Sigerson Cup for University of Galway, but is back in light training.
The versatile Molloy, a key performer for Galway in recent years, sustained a cruciate knee ligament injury in September when playing for Corofin.
"They are good," Joyce says. "Seán has made brilliant progress in the last two months to eight weeks, he is back training lightly.
Seán Ó Maoilchiaráin is on the comeback trail following a serious knee injury. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
"He is not in full training yet, but he has made a remarkable recovery from the nasty break he had in his kneecap.
"Kieran is Kieran. Kieran said he would be back long before the nine months and he is actually back doing a bit of straight line running which is a great sign for him.
"All in all the next three or four weeks will be huge for Kieran to get him back on the pitch and training again.
"Initially we would have thought we wouldn’t see action this summer. I think it is heading the way there is a good chance he will see action.
Galway's Kieran Molloy is back in light training. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
"If he keeps progressing the way he is progressing, he should be okay later in the year provided we are still involved."
The Galway management will be careful reintroducing the players back into competitive action.
"Long term injuries are funny," Joyce adds. "When they are back, they are back at a level of fitness, but are they at the championship match fitness?
"It is night and day between playing with us and playing championship, we have to be careful not of that and not rush them back."
