Joe Canning coy on comeback date
Joe Canning’s fitness may be all the talk as we approach the beginning of the 2019 All-Ireland hurling championship, but the man himself isn’t all that interested in adding to the chatter.
Injured during Galway’s Allianz League semi-final defeat to Waterford at the end of March, there were conflicting reports as to the seriousness of his problem until the county board confirmed that surgery was required to his groin.
A rehab period of 14-16 weeks was mentioned at the time which, if still accurate, rules him out of the entire Leinster Championship and suggests a return date uncomfortably close to the All-Ireland series at the back end of July.
“It’s 14/16 weeks from the surgery, so whenever that is,” a vague Canning said on Wednesday at a Bord Gais Energy hurling promotion.
It could be longer. Who knows? I’m just taking it week by week really. That’s all I can do. Because these things, you could be going well and something might happen.
“So I’m not even thinking of putting a date on it, to be honest.”
Canning did go as far as to confirm that the issue was with his groin and reluctantly agreed that it had been ripped off the bone “a little bit”. If it sounds sore then that’s because it was, but he was off the crutches and back walking within a week of the surgery.
There is no hint here of a guy feeling sorry for himself.
“No, you don’t. What’s the point? You can’t because there’s another 35 or 36 guys that are going to be there and if you bring in a bad vibe going into training, or anything like that, you’re affecting other people.
“They have a job to do now so you have to try and support them as best you can and try and be as positive as much as you can around training and try and help the guys out as best you can.”
