Tyrone's championship hopes have been dealt a blow with the news that Seán Cavanagh is likely to play no part in this year's campaign.
The 2008 Footballer of the Year fell awkwardly when playing for his club Moy on Sunday last and later it emerged that he had dislocated his shoulder.
The injury to Cavanagh is similar to that which kept him out of action for six months in the latter part of last year. Tyrone face Armagh in their Ulster SFC opener on 10 June and Cavanagh joins Kyle Coney and Ronan O'Neill as absentees for this season.
Speaking after the latest setback to hit the Tyrone squad, coach Mickey Harte said: "We're really disappointed for Sean, we’re all devastated, but that’s where it's at, and we have to live with that."
And Harte revealed that he has been in touch with one of the players who retired prior to the beginning of this season with a view to stepping back in to address a crisis which has seen key attackers ruled out by injury.
He refused to identify the player in question, but confirmed that it is not Brian Dooher, who is currently injured.
