When Cork full back Christopher Joyce landed awkwardly on his right leg six minutes into his team's now bitter-sweat victory over Dublin on Saturday, the worst possible scenario was that he had suffered a season-ending cruciate ligament injury. That prognostication has unfortunately become a reality following a scan on Monday.
The scan has shown that the 23-year-old did indeed endure a cruciate ligament tear in that 0-34 to 1-20 win at Croke Park, and surgery is expected in the coming weeks.
Cork hurling manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy has paid tribute to Joyce following the demoralising blow;
“He was really developing very well as a player over the past 12 months and looked very good at full back, where we were playing him. It’s very tough on a young fella who just wants to play but hopefully he can come back as good as ever.”
Last summer the Na Piarsaigh club man lined out at right corner-back on the Cork team that won the Munster senior hurling title, but thus far in the 2015 league he had more often than not been lining out at full back.
Cork have already lost Damien Cahalane to injury, another option for the fullback position , and last year's captain Patrick Cronin who is likely to miss the remainder of the league with a hand injury.
In a statement from Cork GAA today the county board said that “following a scan today on his injured knee, it has been confirmed Christopher Joyce has damaged his cruciate ligament.
“He is scheduled to see an orthopaedic surgeon tomorrow and faces the possibility of surgery in the coming weeks. We wish Christopher well in his recovery.”
Joyce has played in four of Cork's six games in the Waterford Crystal Cup and the Allianz League thus far in 2015, playing at centre back in one and at the edge of the square in the other three.
Joyce’s injury follows the ‘cruciate curse’ which has swept the GAA during this period of the season in recent years, particularly during the month of March.
Dublin footballer Ciarán Kilkenny, former Dublin hurler Stephen Hiney, former Cork hurler Ruairi Deane, Cork footballer Colm O'Neill (twice) and Kerry's Colm Cooper are amongst the litany of players to have suffered the injury in the same month.
