A devastated Henry Shefflin was last night coming to terms with the prospect of missing next month's All-Ireland hurling final.

The championship's all-time leading scorer has been ruled out of Kilkenny's five-in-a-row showdown with either Tipperary or Waterford on September 5 after a scan and consultation yesterday with renowned surgeon Dr Tadhg O'Sullivan at the Whitfield Clinic in Waterford.

Shefflin suffered a severed cruciate ligament in his left knee in the first half of last Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final victory over Cork and will now be denied the chance of winning an eighth All-Ireland senior hurling medal on the field.

"I am so disappointed I don't know how I feel. I was hoping against hope that it was something else but the surgeon has confirmed my worst fears. I heard some pop. I had an idea I was in a bit of trouble but I was hoping it wasn't what I feared it might be. I am devastated," he said.

While Shefflin's loss to the Cats is incalculable, county secretary Ned Quinn has predicted that he will still play a key role in preparations for the final.

"The determination is there anyway to win the All-Ireland title but I believe they'll want to win it even more now for Henry. It's a devastating blow for the player and all our thoughts in Kilkenny are with him now," Quinn said.

"I've been watching hurling for nearly 50 years now and he's the greatest player I've ever seen. He works hard for the team, is great in the dressing- room, provides leadership on the pitch and is the main scorer. He's the complete package.

"I've no doubt that Henry will be part of the dressing-room in the build-up to the game, given the commitment he has showed to Kilkenny in the past. A number of Kilkenny players have suffered cruciate injuries, including Henry, in recent years but all came back. I've no doubt he will do the same."

Kilkenny under 21 manager Michael Walsh insists the 31-year-old will overcome this latest injury setback and return to the inter-county scene next season.

"The type of leadership he has shown over the last few years suggests to me that he will be back. It's going to be very sad and disappointing for him over the next few weeks but that will ease and he'll look forward. It's a desperate situation for him to miss out just before an All-Ireland final.

"The one thing that strikes me as well is that if any player deserved the five-in-a-row, it was Henry. I think there'll be a huge amount of sympathy for him, not just in Kilkenny, but everywhere in the county. Everyone wants to see the great players in All-Ireland finals."

Shefflin suffered cruciate ligament damage before during the 2007 All-Ireland final win over Limerick, but that was in his right knee and he returned to action the following year. Remarkably, this year's All-Ireland final will be the first championship game he won't start since Brian Cody became manager in 1999. Tweet

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