James O’Donoghue is gearing up for a six-month spell on the sidelines as he is set to undergo surgery on his shoulder.

The Kerry footballer will go under the knife this week with an expected recovery time of six months, ruling the 2014 GAA-GPA Footballer of the Year out of action until May. The Legion man’s shoulder had caused problems earlier this year, and forced his absence from the Kingdom’s Championship bow against Clare in June.

This means that Eamonn Fitzmaurice will have to do without the 24 year-old for the duration of next year’s Allianz football league campaign. The Kerry boss may also have to negotiate the early rounds of the League without Colm Cooper, touting a March return date for the four-time All-Ireland winner last night.