Cork camogie star Ashling Thompson suffers knee injury

A MASSIVE blow for Cork and Milford Camogie Club as it has been confirmed that star player Ashling Thompson has damaged her cruciate ligament and is now out for up to a year.

The 32-year-old was one of Cork’s stars this year and it was her introduction in the first half of their All-Ireland semi-final clash with Waterford that turned the game in favour of the Rebel county before they lost the final by a single point to Kilkenny.

She had been in outstanding form all year for her county and both her club and divisional side, Avondhu, would have been expecting her to continue that form in the club championships.

It was while playing for Avondhu against Na Piarsaigh that she did the damage and now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Cork manager, Matthew Twomey, confirmed that she had damaged her cruciate and that she is heading to Santry next week to meet a surgeon to discuss the next course of action.

Thompson has won All-Ireland senior titles with Cork in 2014, 2015, 2107 and 2018, captaining the side in 2015 to lift the O’Duffy Cup.

Thompson also won All-Star awards in 2015 and 2017 and was instrumental in her club winning four Cork senior championship titles and going on to win three All-Ireland club championships.

If she has to have surgery and that won’t be confirmed until after her appointment in Santry, it will mean she will miss the league campaign with Cork next year, but pending on how fast Ashling recovers she could be back for some of the championship.

It is a huge blow to Cork as Ashling would have been one of the players that Twomey would have been looking to next season as they bid to get back to the All-Ireland final.

But she is the type of person and player that will put all her energy into her recovery and rehab and if anyone can defy the odds and be back sooner than the predicted timescale then it is Ashling Thompson.