STEPHEN BRADLEY has confirmed that Seán Kavanagh’s season is over after another injury setback.
The 27-year-old joined the club from Fulham in 2018 but has seen his progress hampered by various issues in recent seasons.
Knee problems have meant he missed part of the 2019 campaign as well as most of 2020, while this unfortunate trend has continued in 2021.
“We won’t see Sean until pre-season,” Bradley told reporters on Thursday. “It’s a re-occurrence of the same injury, it’s a setback for Sean and for us, he’s had a year of it.”
The manager did add, however, that the former Ireland U21 international remains in his plans and is under contract for next season.
“Yes, either way with Sean he would have been here. We know what ability he has and what he brings to us when he’s at it and is flying but it’s unfortunate, he has had one of those years, it’s been frustrating for him and us.”
As Shamrock Rovers prepare for Friday’s game at home to Finn Harps where a win would see them confirmed as league champions, there was better news elsewhere on the injury front.
After feeling tightness in training, Bradley said Ronan Finn “should be okay” for the encounter, while Gary O’Neill is also expected to be available having successfully come through concussion protocols.
On the game itself, Bradley said: “It’s just about getting another win. This is what we have worked all year for, since the first day of pre-season we have worked to put ourselves in this position, to have a chance of winning the league and we have that on Friday night. We will do everything possible to try and do it, hopefully, we can do it but we know it’ll be a tough game, in the last game they should have beaten us in Tallaght.”
With restrictions now lifted, Tallaght Stadium will potentially be filled to capacity with 7,500 fans as Rovers aim to secure the title.
“It will be more special as this will be the first time that the club will get to do it, win the league at home, since 1993/94, in front of the home fans and this gives us a great opportunity to do that. It will be special, in front of family and friends. Hopefully, we can get over the line.
“It’s great for everyone, involved in football or not, to get back to some sort of normality. We could have 7,000 or 7,500 there and by all accounts it’s heading that way, if we get that crowd it’s up to us to make it special.”
Bradley insists, however, that the carnival atmosphere expected will not create a sense of complacency against Ollie Horgan’s relegation-threatened outfit.
“It won’t affect the focus or the mindset of the players because we have played so many games. We have worked too hard to allow that to happen.”
