DECLAN COULTER won’t make a return to action for Donegal in next weekend’s Christy Ring relegation play-off.
Donegal have seen a plethora of departures from the panel for the 2019 campaign and their cause hasn’t been helped by injuries.
Coulter, their ace marksman in 2018, who was also a former Nicky Rackard All-Star with his native Armagh, is out injured at the moment and Mickey McCann, the Donegal manager, isn’t expecting a miraculous recover.
“It’s not looking good for Declan,” McCann told Donegal Daily/Donegal Sport Hub.
“He’s looking like he’ll be out.”
Ciaran Finn has emerged as a doubt after picking up a hamstring problem on Saturday while Danny Cullen was withdrawn.
McCann said: “Ciaran doesn’t look good for seven days’ time. Danny was feeling a bit of a knock, too. That’s why we took him off.
“We could be missing a couple, but hopefully those boys will come through.”
Lee Henderson overcame an injury to make an appearance off the bench for the second half on Saturday and McCann is hopeful that the Sean MacCumhaills man will be able for a starting spot against London.
Last year, London reached the Christy Ring Cup final, losing out to Kildare.
McCann said: “It’ll be hard to lift them, but this is a position that was always likely for us with the teams of that calibre in it. It’s not a real surprise, but we could have got something from Wicklow or Derry to keep us away from the play-off.
“London were finalists last year in the Christy Ring so that’s a tough ask again.”