Massive blow as Emlyn Mulligan suffers cruciate injury

Leitrim's Connacht Championship hopes have been dealt a massive blow with the news that Emlyn Mulligan has been ruled out of action with a dreaded cruciate knee ligament injury.

The terrible news was confirmed to the Leitrim Observer by County Senior team manager Brendan Guckian on today (Wednesday afternoon) after Mulligan had undergone a scan on his knee.

And Emlyn himself tweeted in the last hour confirming the news as he said: "Once was bad, never mind twice but 3 times .... Some is punishing me from up above. More cruciate's torn than trophies won in my career"

Once was bad, never mind twice, but 3 times.... Someone is punishing me from up above. More cruciate's torn than trophies won in my career

— Emlyn Mulligan (@emlynmulligan) May 17, 2017

Mulligan is the second Leitrim player to suffer the injury in recent weeks following on from the news that Nevin O'Donnell will miss the rest of the year and the news is a terrible blow to the Green & Gold ahead of Sunday week's meeting with London in Ruislip.

Just want too say thanks to everyone for the calls and text,Not a Road I had hoped to go down again very Disappointing but I'll be back #ACL

— Nevin O Donnell (@NevinODonnell) May 12, 2017

The Kinlough man, who captained the team in the past, has already suffered two cruciate injuries in the past and had rejoined Melvin Gaels at the beginning of the year from Dublin side St. Brigid's. It is a terrible blow to Melvin Gaels who are drawn on the much tougher side of the draw in the Leitrim Senior Club Championship.

Mulligan's absence will rob Leitrim of much needed experience and leadership in the forwards for the crunch match in Ruislip and adds to the selection dilemma for Leitrim manager Brendan Guckian with a number of players carrying injuries at the moment.