Roscommon hit with major injury blow ahead of Connacht final against Galway

Neil Collins has been ruled out for the Connacht Senior Football Championship final.

The Roscommon full back is potentially facing the rest of the season on the sideline after suffering a hamstring tear that will require surgery. The man who plays his football in Dublin with St. Brigid's Castleknock, has been huge for the county in their run to the Division One semi-final and now the provincial decider but the Rossies will have to make do without the tough-tackling number three after an extensive injury list released by the management revealed the extent of his injury.

"Neil Collins the Roscommon Full Back and St Brigid’s Castleknock clubman has been ruled out of contention for the Connacht Final due to a Grade 3 hamstring tear," the statement read. "Collins who was star of the Roscommon team in the second half against Sligo in the Connacht Semi Final will now require surgery and is unlikely to play any football for the remainder of the 2016 season."

https://twitter.com/SportsJOEdotie/status/738319981503500288 Two more defenders, Brian Murtagh and Gary Patterson, are also struggling with hamstring problems and they missed an in-house game a week out from the provincial decider in Salthill this Sunday (throw-in: 2pm). There's some good news however with word that Ronan Stack is back in contention along with Cathal McHugh, Cathal Shine and Diarmuid Murtagh. With young Eamon Brannigan running riot for the Tribesmen who shook the island when they saw off Mayo in Castlebar 1-12 to 0-12, Kevin McStay and Fergal O'Donnell will need all the help they can get to deliver the county's second Connacht title in 15 years. Here's the full rundown of the squad's injury crisis from the Roscommon website:

• Ciaráin Cafferkey has been fully rehabbed with the County team and has been released back to his club for game time.
• Brian Murtagh has a hamstring injury and was unable to take part in the In house Game at the weekend.
• Gary Patterson has a hamstring injury and was unable to take part in the In house Game at the weekend.
• Kevin Higgins has been released back to his club for game time and is in consideration for a starting place.
• Cathal Shine has been released back to his club for game time and is in consideration for a starting place.
• Ronan Stack is back in consideration for a starting place.
• Cian Connolly has resumed training with the panel following on from the Broken Jaw he endured in the Connacht first round championship game in New York.
• Ian Kilbride has returned to full training and is back in consideration for a starting place.
• Ultan Harney has returned to full training and is back in consideration for a starting place.
• Diarmuid Murtagh has returned to full training and is back in consideration for a starting place.
• Cathal McHugh has been released back to his club for game time and is in consideration for a starting place.