Gaelic Games

Kerry’s Colm Cooper to undergo shoulder surgery

Kingdom star will miss McGrath Cup and possibly league games

Colm Cooper: one of nine Kerry players to require surgery in the last 12 months. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho
Colm Cooper: one of nine Kerry players to require surgery in the last 12 months. Photograph: Cathal Noonan/Inpho
Wed Dec 09 2015 - 01:00

Colm Cooper is the latest Kerry player to have to undergo surgery and is likely to miss the McGrath Cup and possibly the early rounds of the National Football League.

The Dr Crokes star will travel to Santry next week to have some minor surgery done on a shoulder. But it is not as serious as his Kerry team-mate James O'Donoghue, so he is expected to make a quick recovery.

Cooper is expected to play his last game for a couple of months this Sunday, ironically against Killarney Legion in the O’Donoghue Cup semi-final. But he won’t be available for the final if Crokes win.

Crokes and Kerry star John Buckley has had key hole surgery on his knee but he may well be ready to play some part in the O'Donoghue Cup final, if Crokes get that far.

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Meanwhile it is expected that none of Kerry's senior players will call it a day, as both Marc Ó Sé and Aidan O'Mahony are back training on their own with strength and fitness coach Damien Ryall. Kieran Donaghy will resume training with Kerry, as soon as Stacks finish off on Saturday, with their SFC relegation game, with Laune Rangers.

The Kerry party will fly out for their annual holiday on December 28th in Florida and will not return until January 10/11th.

Nine Kerry players required surgery either during the season or after the All-Ireland final: Kieran O'Leary (cruciate), Paul and Mikey Geaney (back), Shane Enright ( back), Anthony Maher (hip), Johnny Buckley (knee), Peter Crowley (shoulder), James O'Donoghue (shoulder) and Colm Cooper ( shoulder). David Moran may face surgery on a disc problem in the New Year.