Former Lincoln City midfielder Danny Mandroiu has suffered an injury setback after being ruled out of Shamrock Rovers’ decisive UEFA Conference League play-off against KuPS.
Mandroiu has travelled to London to see a specialist after sustaining a hamstring injury, with Shamrock Rovers head coach Stephen Bradley confirming that the former Imp will miss Thursday’s second leg in Finland.
The tie remains finely balanced following a 1-1 draw at Tallaght Stadium last week. Mandroiu featured in the first leg but will be unable to help Rovers as they attempt to secure a place in the league phase of the competition.
The injury is particularly frustrating for the 27-year-old because he has only recently returned following a lengthy rehabilitation programme. Mandroiu suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during last season’s FAI Cup final and had been carefully managed since making his comeback.
According to The 42, Mandroiu travelled to London alongside teammate Danny Grant, who was already due to receive a specialist opinion on an injury of his own.
Bradley explained that Grant’s existing appointment allowed Rovers to arrange an assessment for Mandroiu without a lengthy delay.
“Danny Grant was due to go for an opinion in London. And obviously then when Danny Mandroiu got picked up the knock it made sense to send both of them together. You have to wait for some time to get in there so it’s good that we had a slot already booked.”
While the full extent of the hamstring problem has not yet been confirmed, Bradley acknowledged how difficult the setback would be for a player who had worked extensively on his own during his recovery from the ACL injury.
“It’s tough for him, because we’ve all seen how hard he’s had to work on his own, a lot of them days. He’s come back in brilliant shape. But this is quite normal, although it’s not what we want, it’s why I’ve been trying to manage him so carefully in terms of minutes.”
The Rovers head coach believes the injury may be linked to the physical adjustments which can follow a long period on the sidelines. Although the club hope the problem is not serious, Mandroiu will have to wait for the specialist’s assessment before learning how long he could be unavailable.
“It’s just frustrating for him, but it is quite normal, unfortunately, when you’ve had an injury like he’s had. I think you’ve seen in England the last few weeks, different players coming back from ACL in the Premier League have tweaked hamstrings here and there.
“It’s not ideal but unfortunately your body is changing, mechanics are changing, how you run and all of that is being tweaked. And then obviously load. So, yeah, hopefully it’s not too bad. But it’s just unfortunate because he was getting to a really good place.”
Mandroiu And Lincoln City
Mandroiu joined City from Shamrock Rovers in the summer of 2022 and spent two seasons at Sincil Bank. The attacking midfielder returned to Dublin following the conclusion of his contract with the Imps in 2024. He was famously the brunt of Mark Kennedy’s ire after the Burton Albion fixture in October 2023 that saw the head coach removed from his post.
Kennedy was right: he claimed Mandroiu would end up back in Ireland, and he has. He has since become part of a Rovers side competing for domestic honours and seeking further progress in Europe, but the ACL injury sustained in the FAI Cup final brought his campaign to a premature conclusion.
Mandroiu had worked his way back into contention before this latest problem. Rovers have not yet placed a timescale on his return, with the immediate priority being to establish the severity of the injury following his assessment in London.
Comments Welcome!