Eoghan O’Donnell: I’m working hard to get back to fitness

Wed, 26th June 2019

Dublin full-back Eoghan O'Donnell still hopes to return to action for the All-Ireland SHC preliminary quarter-final.

The Dubs face the winners of this Sunday's Joe McDonagh Cup final (Laois or Westmeath) the following weekend and the Whitehall Colmcille clubman is in a race to get back to full fitness in time.

Eoghan had to be replaced inside the opening 15 minutes of Dublin's dramatic Leinster SHC round-robin victory over Galway in Parnell Park.

"I got a small tear in the Galway game, very early on, which is disappointing," said O’Donnell at Wednesday's launch of the AIG Cups and Shields in GUI Headquarters, Carton House.

"But I'm working very closely with the physios and working hard.

"We still have a bit of time before the game, so there hasn’t been a decision made either way – just trying to give it as much time as I can.

"I'd really have to train on the Thursday or Friday (of next week). But it takes the pressure off a small bit that we have such a great team - that (Shane) Barrett slotted in at full-back seamlessly (against Galway) and James Madden came on.

"So, we’re not seeing it, if I'm out, that it’s a loss as such … it’s another cog in the wheel in, and that’s a positive way to view it."

The winner of the Dublin v Laois/Westmeath advances to a quarter-final meeting with the Munster losing finalist (Limerick or Tipperary) on the weekend of July 13/14.