AFTER BLAZING A trail in 2018 for the Galway footballers, a seemingly ‘innocuous’ injury sustained at Christmas has derailed the plans for Damien Comer in 2019.

Damien Comer at today’s 2019 Connacht senior football launch.

Source: Bryan Keane/INPHO

The Galway captain fractured a bone in his foot in a charity soccer game on St Stephen’s Day and has yet to feature for the county team this year. He missed their entire league campaign and will also be absent for the early rounds of the championship.

But a Connacht final date in mid June, provided Galway get there, is a potential comeback date for the Annaghdown man.

“(It happened) on St Stephen’s Day in a soccer match we play every year, so it was an innocuous enough thing,” stated Comer.

“It would have been fine if it had been picked up in the first scan. It didn’t. It just showed up a small bit of damage. Then I got it scanned again, it showed a fracture so I’d to go for surgery then.

“I wasn’t training away. There was still pain, I just didn’t know what was wrong with it. I hadn’t done much because I wasn’t really able, it was too sore. I wouldn’t have done an awful lot of damage but when it showed up the second time, it showed up the fracture and I had to get a screw to fix it.

“Seven weeks post-op nearly now. Just rehabbing away. It’s a bit slower than I expected, I thought I’d be further on than I am. But the physio and doctors are saying mid-June for a return to play. That’ll leave me with missing the first game (against London) anyway.

“If we make it to the Sligo game, I’ll miss that as well. If everything goes well, hopefully a Connacht final. It’s hard to know. I’m relying on whenever the pain goes down and that.”

Damien Comer on crutches at Galway’s game against Tyrone in March.

Source: Lorcan Doherty/INPHO

Comer admits it’s been a frustrating experience watching on as Galway feature to date this season.

“It was. It’s never nice being injured. Watching the lads play was different. I’ve been lucky enough, even up to last year with the college and everything, I was nearly surprised I didn’t pick up an injury along the way because I was playing so much.

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“It could have been my body this year telling me I needed a rest. It’s just unfortunate really the way it worked out, it didn’t get picked up the first time. It delayed a few weeks.

“But I’m positive, I’m just rehabbing away and trying to get my body in as good a shape as I can before getting back. Whenever that time comes to come back, I’ll be as prepared as possible.”

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