TIPPERARY HAVE CONFIRMED that 2016 All-Ireland winning captain Brendan Maher tore his cruciate in last Sunday week’s clash against Clare.
Maher suffered the injury to his right knee towards the end of the tie in Semple Stadium and was helped off in the 68th minute.
Tipperary ultimately lost the game by two points and that scuppered their hopes of qualifying for the All-Ireland series from this year’s Munster round-robin ties.
The Borris-Ileigh man will undergo surgery next month and is targeting a return to action early next year.
The 29-year-old had been one of Tipperary’s leading performers this season, claiming the man-of-the-match award as they came back to claim a dramatic draw against Waterford, the week before the loss to Clare.
Maher has won two All-Ireland senior hurling medals with Tipperary in 2010 and 2016, along with claiming five Munster senior medals.
In 2007, he captained Tipperary to All-Ireland minor hurling glory and picked up an U21 accolade three years later.
While Tipperary’s 2018 campaign has come to an end, Maher’s absence will be keenly felt by his club Borris-Ileigh as he was a key component in their route to last year’s county senior hurling final.
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