Westmeath have suffered a blow after forward Luke Loughlin confirmed he will miss the rest of the season due to a hamstring tear and tendon rupture.
Loughlin sustained the injury during his side's Leinster quarter-final win over Meath on 19 April, coming off the O'Connor Park pitch midway through the second half.
While he was initially ruled out of Sunday's semi-final against Kildare, it has now been confirmed that his absence will stretch beyond this season with surgery a necessity.
Loughlin revealed the extent of the injury in an Instagram post.
"Today I got news that I more than likely won't play sport again this year, never mind with Westmeath," he wrote.
"(I) have a grade 4C hamstring tear and tendon rupture and I’ll need surgery."
The Downs clubman added: "Injuries are definitely a part of sport but I suppose why I am posting this is firstly I'm grateful that my setback is in sport and not my personal life, I didn’t relapse and I still have my overall health thank god. I’ve also never been hurt before long term in sport so it was going to happen eventually.
"I suppose things were going so well and coming into form at the right time but I do believe everything happens for a reason.
"I know I’ll be able to look back in a few months and take the learnings from the experience. I’ll also be able to do things that I’ve put off the last while.
"When I started this Instagram and posting about five years (ago), it was about my recovery and coming back from rock bottom and addiction and dealing with adversity and this is a perfect opportunity to practice what I preach."
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