Clare hurler Aron Shanagher has been ruled out for next year with a cruciate injury. The 20-year-old, who made his championship debut under Davy Fitzgerald in 2016, having first impressed in their national league-winning campaign of that year, sustained the injury in the weeks leading up to the team's departure for Boston and the Fenway Hurling Classic.

Shanagher, of the Wolfe Tones club in Shannon, will be a big loss for joint managers Gerry O'Connor and Donal Moloney, who have already lost from their 2017 panel Brendan Bugler and Patrick Donnellan, to retirement, and Aaron Cunningham and Cian Dillon, who are travelling.

Meanwhile, Galway hurler Cyril Donnellan has retired from the inter-county game. Having picked up his first All-Ireland senior medal in September, the Pádraig Pearse's player has decided to call it a day aged 32.

He was a physical presence in the forwards and a good scorer and was nominated for an All Star in 2012.