Former Armagh star and current Wicklow manager Oisin McConville believes Darragh Canavan’s departure for the remainder of the Allianz Football League campaign after this weekend “is not ideal” for Malachy O’Rourke’s side.

Canavan, who struck 0-9 in the Red Hands’ victory over Cavan last weekend, will be available for his team’s Division 2 fourth round clash against Louth on Sunday (2pm) before he travels to Australia for a month.

The Errigal Ciaran clubman is set to return in time for Tyrone’s crunch Ulster SFC preliminary round clash against Armagh on April 12 and, speaking to BBC Sport NI’s GAA Social podcast this week, McConville says that the championship is what matters most for O’Rourke’s men.

"He will be a huge miss, an absolutely huge miss," said the 2002 All-Ireland SFC winner.

"You can't stop a lad first and foremost and I think in his case, after he picked up a few injuries, he will probably come back reinvigorated and ready to go for the club championship.

"That [the championship] is definitely the most important thing as far as Tyrone are concerned. I don't think Tyrone will be promoted now, that Derry loss was huge.

"It looks OK that he will go away and come back ready to rock. As a manager, it is not ideal as you want him there for every game but if you're going to go now is the time."

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