Jim McGuinness has revealed that a hamstring injury picked up by Eoghan Ban Gallagher looks set to rule him out of Donegal’s Ulster SFC preliminary round opener with Derry.
The Killybegs defender sustained the knock at training and while McGuinness is relieved it isn’t as serious as was initially thought, that Oak Leafer opener in two weeks time in Ballybofey will just come too soon.
“He’s picked up a knock and probably won’t be available for Derry,” McGuinness told media following Donegal’s defeat against Mayo in the National League.
“Thankfully it’s not as bad as we initially thought it would be.”
“He’ll be a couple of weeks, it was a bit of a scare for us, but he’ll just continue on his rehab for now.”
The news on Caolan McGonagle was much more positive after the Buncrana man had to be helped from the field at half-time in Sunday’s 1-18 to 1-16 loss to Mayo in Castlebar.
Many inside the press area initially thought it was a clash to the head but McGuinness said the injury was a dead leg and that McGonagle should be fine in a couple of days.
“It was a clash of knees, a dead leg, so it’ll be a couple of days resting up and Caolan will be fine”.
And in relation to Jason McGee, who is yet to make an appearance this term, the manager’s update on the Cloughaneely middleman was positive.
“Jason is in good fettle and moving very much in the right direction so we’ll see how that progresses now”.
