Leitrim have been dealt a major blow ahead of their Tommy Murphy Cup campaign with the news that John McKeon will be sidelined for eight weeks after suffering a broken jaw. The classy full back sustained the injury while playing for his club Drumreilly last Friday and will undergo surgery in the next few days. It is a major blow for Leitrim who will not only be without McKeon for the opening round clash with Clare in Ennis on July 19, but for the entire campaign. The Ridge County had already been planning without their captain and centre back Gary McCloskey, who emigrated to London two days after the Connacht SFC semi-final defeat to Galway. Leitrim spokesman Brendan Doyle said: "Gary will definitely miss the game against Clare. He has yet to tell us if he will be available should we progress further. "The two boys are a major loss. John broke a bone in his hand during the National League and his absence probably cost us in terms of relegation from Division 3 to Division 4, and now we are in the Murphy Cup. "Those two boys were effectively the glue that held our defence together." Tweet

Most Read Stories