Mixed news as Ciaran Thompson scan reveals a partial ACL tear 

Ciaran Thompson looks set to miss out on the Donegal Club SFC season with Naomh Conaill after a scan on the injury picked up in the All-Ireland final confirmed a partial ACL tear. 

The Glenties native was excellent for Donegal as they lifted another Ulster SFC crown and was also instrumental in that run towards Croke Park. 

IN PICTURES: Donegal and Sligo Masters will have to do it all over again 

However, he departed the action against Kerry just 23 minutes in and while both Martin Regan and Jim McGuinness would have been hoping a scan at Santry Sports Clinic might alleviate initial fears, it has now confirmed ACL damage. 

Still, a partial tear often doesn’t require surgery and can be rehabbed back to health, often within a five-month timeframe. 

But if it’s decided that the tear is sufficient enough to require a surgical repair, the ‘return to play’ timeframe usually lands in-and-around the nine-month period. 

That ‘worst case’ nine-month scenario would mean Thompson would not only miss the entire National Football League Division 1 campaign but a large chunk of the championship season as well. 

Donegal’s Ulster final win over Armagh took place on May 11 and the end of that month, 2026, lands bang on that nine-month window. 

The player and Donegal’s medical team will now look at both options before deciding on which option to pursue.. 

The player had made his 50th consecutive Donegal championship appearance against Louth in MacCumhaill Park back in June - a record that stretched all the way back to his debut against Dublin, in the 2016 All-Ireland quarter-final.

Meanwhile, Naomh Conaill’s scheduled away SFC encounter with Downings this evening, Saturday, has now been postposed as a mark of respect following the sudden passing of former Downings underage player Tristan Cullen.

Ar dheis de go raibh a anam uasal.