Town have been hit with another pre-Christmas injury blow with Shane O’Connor out for six weeks having sustained a shoulder injury in training this morning. The Blues lost keeper Brian Murphy to a broken ankle which will sideline him for three months only yesterday.

The 20-year-old Irishman, who impressed at left midfield after coming back into the side for last Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Leicester, fell heavily and ruptured and dislocated his shoulder joint. O'Connor has already missed part of this season with a hamstring injury sustained while away with the Irish U21 squad.

Speaking at yesterday's pre-match press conference, manager Roy Keane praised O’Connor and said he expected him to be involved over the Christmas period: “Shane is a good lad, an honest player and you’d have him in your squad all the time. We like Shane, even when he’s left out he shows a good attitude in the reserves.

“He’s a really honest player, who can deal with the ball in tight situations, which you’d expect from someone who came up through Liverpool. You’ve seen that in games when he seems to have got himself in a bit of bother, he’s got a little sidestep that seems to work.”

Keane says he was surprised there wasn’t more interest in O’Connor before he persuaded his fellow Cork man to give him a trial in the summer of 2009: “You’d have thought there would have been offers there, but he didn’t really play too much in the reserves before he left Liverpool, so clubs wouldn’t have seen too much of him. He’s not the biggest lad on the planet and teams do get bogged down by size.

“What I like about Shane is that he persevered with me. He pestered me, although I’d used a different word beginning with P as well!”

The Blues boss, who like O’Connor played for Cork side Rockmount as a schoolboy, says the left-sided full-back or midfielder is an example to other youngsters looking to stay in football after being released: “Shane’s story is a good one for a lot of young players trying to get in the game and make a living out of it.

“He came in here on trial a year or two ago and he’s now played 15 or so league games for us and will probably get some more over Christmas. It’s a good reflection on the boy.

“We weren’t sure about him at left-back because of his experience and because teams were targeting him that far post against his height. Shane’s been caught out once or twice but in terms of playing ahead of an experienced left-back [like Mark Kennedy], I think he might give us something. He’s a good kid, keeps his head down .”

Photo: Action Images

ipsuefa added 15:30 - Dec 24 1 of the last players I would of wanted injured to be fair.....I have a feeling he is go on to be a v v good player.
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Gus added 15:31 - Dec 24 For christ sake, he was immense against Leicster, imo the best player and I felt certain he would cement his first team place. He showed pace, skill, commitment and desire and now this. Typical
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KeaneBlue added 15:32 - Dec 24 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO for gods sake who is doing the bloo*y training, the Taliban? Why the hell are we loosing so many good players in bloo*y training?
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legoman added 15:42 - Dec 24 Ime gutted. My favourite player :o(
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Garv added 15:43 - Dec 24 This is rediculous now. Have to say though if keane rates him so highly and thinks he's a wonderful player, a good kid and an honest player.......why has he been out if the whole picture for the whole season?!
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HighgateBlue added 15:43 - Dec 24 It's no problem, we can just play Townsend on the left. Oh...
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legoman added 15:43 - Dec 24 Play Priskin there Keano.
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pottyblue added 15:43 - Dec 24 hopefully new year new luck we need some-
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corshamblue added 15:48 - Dec 24 FFS. Poor Lad . . . COYB
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Dallas_Blues added 15:57 - Dec 24 What the hell kind of training sessions are these? Seems just any many players get injured during training as during games.
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MarkITFC added 16:02 - Dec 24 Gutted ! he is a great player . gunna be a massive miss , now weve just sent Townsend back as well
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sirburley added 16:09 - Dec 24 why are our players getting injured in training?Has keane appointed vinnie jones as assistant coach or something.Is it a change of luck we need or is it just bad coaching/management?At least murphy and o conner can tuck into cold turkey sarnies now!
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stinkiusminkius added 16:09 - Dec 24 I like him a lot and feel he could be a very important player for us, BUT let's put this into perspective. He's a bit part player at best under keane, who has barely featured, even when we were crying out for left sided players earlier in the season. So let's not add this to the hard luck tale that keane keeps trying to spin.
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Keaneish added 16:14 - Dec 24 Bad News! If this mean Colback is going back to the left then i'll just pull the trigger now. Some questions need to be raised over training though. We've lost more players in training than we have in games!
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BlueArmy01 added 16:16 - Dec 24 Thats no problem Keano has plenty of centre midfieders to play out wide....................The manager is a complete numpty get out ASAP
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Karlosius added 16:21 - Dec 24 Two players get injured in training so it's Keane's fault... Yeah well done everyone. Nice logic!
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Wickets added 16:26 - Dec 24 i know lets pack up training!!!!!!!
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Back_The_Boss added 16:39 - Dec 24 What's going on at training!! Maybe calm down practice sessions!
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sirburley added 16:42 - Dec 24 so theres still some pro-keanes about after 18 months of crap and even crappier excuses for losing.All i want is to watch my team, that i have been watching since the days when i believed in santa claus,to play good attacking footy win,lose or draw.If he succeeds in doing this i would be the first to eat humble pie,we all want success for our beloved club but can you really honestly see it happening under the present regime,sorry but i cant.There was actually someone asleep behind me in the game against barnsley,i aint joking either!

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petermorris added 16:51 - Dec 24 All these flippin injuries in training and 'friendlies', and too many hamstring type injuries on match days. Everyone going nuts 'fighting for their place' and 'proving their worth' to "The Gaffer" - Bloody disgraceful. No wonder the players who are left are getting Christmas Day off; they probably need it. Still, "you learn a lot about a player when he's injured", "...blah blah blah.... Turkey sandwich Roy?

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PimsNumber1 added 17:07 - Dec 24 Gutted for the lad. Was speaking to him the other day, and told him what a good player he is in my opinion , and hoped he would be a regular as he deserves to be. Then this ....
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BehindBlueEyes added 17:23 - Dec 24 Unfortunate for the lad just as he'd forced his way back into the side. Surely time for RK to give Luca a start?
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Suffolk_n_Good added 17:25 - Dec 24 What a great move it was sending Townsend back!!!!
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BehindBlueEyes added 17:33 - Dec 24 Very intelligent post as ever Suffolk.....not! When RK sent Andros back we had two fit left sided midfielders in Shane and Luca. In all probability one of his attacking targets in the transfer window is also left sided midfield. Not quite sure why Andros is suddenly the best player we've seen at PR for ages in some "supporters" eyes. He's average but with little end product (can't cross) and offers nothing defensively. Grow up and support ITFC

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Mark added 17:42 - Dec 24 “Shane is a good lad, an honest player and you'd have him in your squad all the time." Why was he frozen out of the squad for five months then?! The timing of Townsend's return was unfortunate being just before the Christmas games come thick and fast. So now Civelli is our only natural option on the left and he hasn't played for two years - perhaps time to give him a chance now his injury is finally over. Otherwise, yes...an out of position Jack Colback. Oh dear.

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