logo
Ireland's Finn Azaz set to miss three more weeks with quad injury

Ireland's Finn Azaz set to miss three more weeks with quad injury

The 42a day ago
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND attacking midfielder is a doubt for Middlesbrough's Championship opener at home to Swansea on 9 August as he continues to recover from injury.
Azaz has missed his club's two official pre-season friendlies to date and is set to miss the rest of pre-season with the same quad complaint, according to new Middlesbrough boss Rob Edwards.
'Finn had a tightness in his quad,' Edwards said following 'Boro's 2-0 friendly defeat away to League One side Bradford. 'It was scanned, and he's probably going to be around three weeks… That's where he's at.
'It's really frustrating because he was looking brilliant in the early days – really motivated and looking really good. He's a naturally fit boy, so we're hoping that we get him back quickly and he doesn't require too much getting up to speed.'
Advertisement
Azaz was a virtual ever-present for 'Boro last season, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists in 45 Championship appearances.
The 24-year-old has earned seven international caps and scored one goal for Ireland since his debut against Switzerland in March 2024.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Rhys McClenaghan ruled out of world championships after shoulder surgery
Rhys McClenaghan ruled out of world championships after shoulder surgery

Irish Times

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Times

Rhys McClenaghan ruled out of world championships after shoulder surgery

Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan will miss the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in October after undergoing surgery on his shoulder. The two-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist will rest up his shoulder instead of competing in Jakarta, Indonesia from October 19-25 and set his sights on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. 'I'm disappointed to miss this year's world championships, but my priority is to maintain my place as the best in the world on pommel horse,' the 26-year-old said. 'My goal is not only to retain my Olympic title in LA 2028 but to continue striving for gold in every major competition. READ MORE 'This surgery was necessary to ensure I can perform at the highest level for years to come. Setbacks are part of elite sport, but my mindset is about turning challenges – as I have done before – into opportunities to raise my performance.' Day 1 of recovery from shoulder surgery. I've been struggling with this injury for a while now, so I'm delighted that... Posted by

Jim McGuinness' mum hails Donegal boss' ‘drive to do better' in rare TV interview ahead of All-Ireland final vs Kerry
Jim McGuinness' mum hails Donegal boss' ‘drive to do better' in rare TV interview ahead of All-Ireland final vs Kerry

The Irish Sun

time7 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Jim McGuinness' mum hails Donegal boss' ‘drive to do better' in rare TV interview ahead of All-Ireland final vs Kerry

JIM McGUINNESS' mum gave a rare interview to RTE to speak of her pride in her son on the eve of the All-Ireland football final. The 52-year-old will look to lead the Tir Chonaill to Sam Maguire once again 2 Jim McGuinness, right, will look to lead Donegal to victory in the All-Ireland final against Kerry Credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile 2 His mum was interviewed by RTE He was at the helm when they last won it in 2012 and can toast his second tenure in style by doing it again at the expense of the Kingdom. With anticipation reaching a fever pitch in his hometown of Glenties, film a segment for Friday's Six One News . This included going to Jim's Cafe which is run by the McGuinness family , including his mum Maureen. And speaking to RTE, she said: "He had a great passion always for the Gaelic and then he went to soccer for a while as well. Read More on GAA "I would say he always say he had a bit of drive in him always and to do better always." Jim McGuinness made his sensational return to the football championship for his efforts. However, it Paddy McBrearty admitted: 'We didn't know what to expect. We knew Jim would either welcome us or there would be another response. Most read in GAA Football 'When you door-step someone . . . if it was me, I probably would have told him to clear it. 'We hadn't seen each other in a long time but we had a good chat about where Donegal football was. Daniel O'Donnell and Daithi O Se have hilarious argument 'But he never said no, which kept the thing alive. If he said no, that would have been fine. 'There wasn't just one conversation. There were a few conversations and it kept the pressure on. 'Thankfully he came back because god knows where it would be if he didn't.' That 2014 All-Ireland final defeat to Kerry remains a They had just produced a blistering surprise win over reigning champions That seismic result was Jim Gavin's sole Championship defeat in charge of the Sky Blues as the greatest team the game has seen went on to win the next six on the bounce. But that year's title was not won by McGuinness' Donegal either — they were all set to finish the job against McGuinness went to the banquet that night at the CityWest Hotel with no idea what happened and would quit as boss. He said: 'I would say until I got back involved, there wasn't a day I didn't think about it. 'I can remember walking about the hotel after we lost, in a daze. 'I didn't know what happened, didn't know where I was, didn't know what actually had gone wrong there, and taking a step back from that and trying to work that out . . . it's very, very painful. "You're in a banquet and there's 1,200 people and you don't want to see anybody. That's not a nice place to be. 'All of that factors into it but I think when you get back on the horse, then you're not thinking about the past, you're thinking about what you need to do. 'You're thinking about moving forward and we have moved forward and we've created this opportunity. 'If everything works well and everything goes to plan, the only thing that it guarantees you is to be competitive. That's the only thing that it guarantees you. 'But if we're competitive in this All-Ireland, I'll be happy. I'll be really, really happy. That's all we're looking for, is to go in, show our true colours and be competitive. The focus has to be there.'

Vikki Falconer ‘happy to be back' after horror injury as Waterford camogie star targets All-Ireland redemption vs Cork
Vikki Falconer ‘happy to be back' after horror injury as Waterford camogie star targets All-Ireland redemption vs Cork

The Irish Sun

time12 hours ago

  • The Irish Sun

Vikki Falconer ‘happy to be back' after horror injury as Waterford camogie star targets All-Ireland redemption vs Cork

FOR Vikki Falconer, facing Cork in the Championship brings back memories of a big day that was over for her before it got started. Today, her Advertisement A leading Player of the Year contender when she lined out in the 2023 Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior final against the Rebels, Waterford's specialist marker won the first battle with Cork captain Amy O'Connor. But she crumpled to the turf after just three minutes when attempting a change of direction. A torn ACL and that was that. O'Connor went on to score 3-7 from ten shots, 3-2 from play, and the Rebels were All-Ireland champions, a title they held on to last year. Falconer's recovery preceded a brief return in last year's campaign, which ended at the quarter-final stage for a Déise side who were without her again when knocked out by Advertisement Read More on Camogie Waterford have looked better this summer and surely a factor is the fresh return of the Tramore defender who, after a quad injury had halted that 2024 comeback, went to Falconer, 31, said: 'I know I'm very lucky to be back. I know that not a lot of players can do that. I'm grateful towards management and the girls to be left back into the panel. 'But after the cruciate and everything, I felt I just needed a bit of a break. It was something I've always wanted to do. It gave me the opportunity to work on myself as well. 'It gave me that break from just the usual training. I was able to go to the gym and I trained with a club, Central Coast, over there as well. So it was really good and I'm happy to be back.' Advertisement Most read in GAA Hurling Three weeks ago, on Falconer's Croker comeback, it took fellow veteran Niamh Rockett bagging 1-11 against Clare to deny her the player of the match gong as today's All-Ireland semi-final renewal with the Rebels in The Banner were beaten 2-20 to 2-10 and while it was a big moment to be back at Palestine GAA players watch camogie match on laptop She added: 'I tried not to think about it. There were a few comments during the week but for me, I was just excited. 'In the All-Ireland final, when I did my knee, I was a bit later on in my career so I did have those thoughts — the last time I played in Croke Park, is that going to be the last game? And I didn't want that to be the case. Advertisement 'Coming off, I was really happy. Looking back, I'm just delighted that I was back up there. Every player, every GAA player, every camogie, ladies football player, you want to be playing in Croke Park. 'At my age, you always do wonder, when would be your last year. And 2023, bar in the finish obviously, was a good year. And when the injury happened, well I'm a bit stubborn and I said I was not finishing like that. 'Even last year when I did get back, I got injured again. There was a big mix of frustrations so I was eager to get back this year too.' She agrees Waterford started slowly against Clare and that it took her 'three or four balls' to get to grips with the dangerous Róisín Begley. Advertisement The test against three-in-a-row-chasing Cork should prove tougher again but as she aims for another All-Ireland final outing, Falconer would not want to be going into it alongside any other team-mates. She said: 'It's a really good atmosphere, everyone's getting on really well. When you're coming back into a group like this, it makes it a lot easier. There's something special in the team.' 1 Róisín Begley of Clare in action against Vikki Falconer of Waterford during the Glen Dimplex Senior All-Ireland Camogie Championship quarter-final Credit: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store