[ Mattie DonnellyOpens in new window ]
doesn’t believe his Tyrone career is over, despite a season-ending injury that may yet require surgery.
Donnelly, who will have turned 33 by the end of this year, wants to extend his inter-county involvement into a 15th season in 2024.
He missed out on
[ Trillick’s Tyrone SFC triumphOpens in new window ]
, but says he’s determined to wear the club and county colours again.
The former Red Hand captain will discover on Wednesday whether he will need an operation to repair the damage sustained three months ago.
He has been
[ wearing a knee braceOpens in new window ]
since rupturing his posterior cruciate ligament while playing for Trillick in the Kilmacud Sevens.
“I haven’t looked past Wednesday. My priority is to get the knee in place where I’m confident where I can play and push out another few years of my career,” he said.
“At the end of that, if I feel I can add value to Tyrone, then it’s definitely something I would like to do.
“But at the same time, I don’t want to be going back sore and in a place where I can’t contribute the way I would like to.
“It’s very much still in the air, and it’s very much something that as a priority, I want to look after my body and get my body healthy and back to a good level where I can play for another few years at a high level.”
He is to undergo a scan today which will determine whether he will go under the knife, a procedure which would further delay his recovery and return to play.
Without surgery, he could be back in action by next February.
“That was the advice of the knee consultant. I’m progressing well, I’m in the brace now 12 weeks, and I’m in for a scan on Wednesday to see if they can remove the brace and proceed without surgery. That will tell a tale.
“Surgery is still not off the table, but I’m positive that I can proceed without it.
“I can’t read too much past Wednesday, because that’s going to determine what the next course of action is.
“All being well, with no surgery, it’s very much take the brace off and start to build back towards a full return to play, and that could be, they’re saying, around February, March.
“And that’s not rushing it, so at this stage that’s probably the approach I’ll be taking and looking at.”
The All-Ireland winner and two-time All-Star has been an influential motivator along the sideline throughout Trillick’s Championship run this season, which culminated last Sunday in victory over holders Errigal Ciaran in the final.
[ Younger brother RichieOpens in new window ]
has been one of the stand-out stars of the club’s ninth county title success, delivering a series of towering performances at midfield, and kicking three brilliant scores in the decider.
“I’m immensely proud of him. our own family has had a few blows this year, but Richie has done everyone proud in the whole family, he has stepped up and filled the void and played football for the two of us.
“He has played the football we need him to play, played the football we know he is capable of playing.
“Obviously he has had his challenges with injuries in the past too, and I’m just delighted for him to express how much he loves Trillick and loves playing for Trillick, and he has done that emphatically over the last few weeks."
