Last season's Young Player of the Year, has been absent from the All-Ireland champions early-season assault on the NFL title.

Clarke is due to visit a specialist in Belfast on Tuesday to clear up the problem once and for all.

However, even if he avoids the knife, Clarke is still expected to be sidelined for a further month which will rule him out of any further NFL action.

He's a great talent but Ronan's career could be ruined if he's not looked after properly Joe Kernan

The Orchard County boss Joe Kernan, however, is confident that the 20-year-old forward will be back when Armagh start the defence for their Ulster title next month.

''Ronan will be back for the championship, I've no doubt about that,'' said Kernan.

''If he does the right things, and we're allowed to look after him without any outside influence, he will come back 100 per cent fit.

''Obviously he's a young lad and thinks it's the end of the world at the moment.

''But in time he'll know he's done the right thing.

'Long-term future'

''He'll have to be patient. He can't play and he can't even train at the moment, not for his college, his club or his county.

''Of course, you can play with injuries. Players can get injections, but we have to look at Ronan's long-term future.

''He's a great talent but Ronan's career could be ruined if he's not looked after properly.''

Meanwhile, Cavan sharpshooter Jason Reilly could be out for several weeks due to an ankle injury sustained in the defeat by Fermanagh last Sunday.

It was first feared that Reilly had broken his ankle, but X-rays showed that it was damaged ligaments.