It is feared that Griffin will be absent from the panel for up to a year as a result.

"It's not the best of news, but they will only know definitively on Tuesday how long it will be to recover," explained Dublin manager Pat Gilroy today.

"It's a serious injury, so it is unlikely he will play until the summer at best. We won't know until Tuesday."

The absence of Griffin means that Raheny Shamrocks clubman David Henry will take on the captaincy role for tomorrow night's clash with Cork at Pairc Ui Rinn.

"David is the vice-captain so obviously he will be the captain for this weekend, but we just need to chat to Paul and figure out what the story is (with his injury).

"As it stands he is still the captain of the squad as such, but we will figure that out when we know better what is going to happen with him."

And Gilroy says that it is not just Griffin's playing abilities which will be missed, but also his strong leadership qualities.

"It's a big loss. Paul, after being a very good player, is an outstanding leader and has been exceptional since he took on that role.

"He leads by example all the time. It is a big loss, and you hate to see that happen to any player but we have to just get on with it now."

Meanwhile, fellow Metropolitan defender Ger Brennan says that Griffin will be missed hugely in the Dublin rearguard.

"He is a huge loss not just in the half-back line, but also in the whole team," admitted Brennan.

"Words wouldn't do justice to the loss he is to the team."