Galway will be without star forward Joe Canning for the majority of the Allianz Hurling League due to a broken finger, Tribesmen manager Anthony Cunningham has confirmed.
Canning suffered the injury in his side's Walsh Cup victory over Offaly last month.
If Cunningham's prediction of a "second half of March" return for the Portumna man proves accurate, he would only be back in time to face Dublin in round five (22 March), and any subsequent relegation play-off or knock-out stage fixtures.
Asked at the launch of the Allianz Hurling League at Croke Park when he expected Canning back, Cunningham said: "Probably the second half of March. He has two pins in a bad enough fracture on the small finger.
"It's unfortunate for Joe. We'd like to see him playing all the league matches and he's very disappointed."
Galway completed preparations for their league opener at home to Clare on Sunday by beating Dublin in the Walsh Cup final at the weekend.
"Pre-season is very important, and we were happy to get a match here against the Dubs last Saturday night," he said.
"The new players have gone well but the proof of the pudding is next Sunday against Clare."
Cunningham is targeting a successful league campaign as a springboard for the championship.
"The Allianz Leagues are now so competitive that you want to do well," he said. "Tipperary and Kilkenny got to the league final last year and over the last ten or 15 years it's the teams that get to the league finals invariably finish up at Croke Park on the first Sunday in September."
