Clare have suffered a blow ahead of their Allianz Hurling League campaign, with the news that Darach Honan will play no part in it.
The precocious young forward has had to undergo hip surgery, and will not be fit enough to play in any of the Banner County’s Division 1B campaign under new manager Davy Fitzgerald.
Honan, 21, starred for Clare in their historic All-Ireland U21 success in 2009, and impressed in the senior side last year as the county looked to take a step forward under former boss Ger O’Loughlin. Fitzgerald will now be without him for some time, however.
Meanwhile, Honan’s Clare team-mate Mark Flaherty is set to miss the entire 2012 campaign. Flaherty recently underwent cruciate knee ligament surgery, and is expected to be out all year. He has not featured for the county since 2008.