DUBLIN LADIES FOOTBALL star Nicole Owens is set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines after undergoing knee surgery.
The All-Star and All-Ireland winning forward posted an update from hospital on her Instagram account yesterday, hinting at a second ACL injury to her same right knee.
“We’re back in business boys, the sequel,” Owens wrote, having previously suffered the devastating setback in 2019. She also touched on the situation in a Trinity College Dublin Alumni interview on Tuesday:
“I’m actually getting my ACL reconstruction done tomorrow so I’ll have off-time for about nine months. I’ll look forward to getting back on the pitch next year.”
Owens had been carrying a knee ligament injury before the ’19 All-Ireland semi-final, but after colossal work in the build-up, was deemed fit to start against the odds. Just four minutes in, she was forced off though.
“It was completely torn, ruptured, gone,” as she told The42 in an in-depth interview a few weeks afterwards. “But I would have regretted it if I hadn’t tried it.”
Owens travelled a “bumpy road back,” hit with a string of setbacks, but returned to her brilliant best for Dublin and for her club, St Sylvester’s, as they won All-Ireland titles in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
She was a bright spark for Mick Bohan’s side this year, though their All-Ireland tilt came to an end when they were dumped out at the quarter-final stage by Donegal, and will be a big loss as they look to bounce back and challenge current kingpins Meath.
The Malahide native missed the tail end of Syls’ Dublin senior championship campaign due to injury, The Fingal Independent first reporting the news after their stunning quarter-final victory over seven in-a-row champions Foxrock-Cabinteely.
Her side fell short to eventual winners Kilmacud Crokes in the last four.
