DERRY U21 boss Paul McIver says Slaughtneil's All-Ireland campaign and Watty Graham's U21 success in Creggan has blown a hole in their resources ahead of tomorrow night's Ulster preliminary round clash against Down at Celtic Park.
In his first year as U21 manager, McIver (inset) has had to plan for their provincial title assault without Slaughtneil trio Gerard Bradley, Brendan Rodgers and Cormac O'Doherty and won't have any Glen players available.
"We're stuck in the middle of an All-Ireland Club campaign," McIver said at last night's EirGrid Ulster U21 Championship launch at the Merchant Hotel.
"Slaughtneil's success has taken a few of our players: Gerard Bradley, Brendan Rodgers, Cormac O'Doherty to name just three.
"And then you have the U21 Club Championship in Creggan which Glen won. So we haven't seen the Glen players for four or five weeks, and in fact there won't be any of them playing because Ciaran McFaul and Connor Carville are both injured and other boys decided not to come to the county."
Despite their absence, McIver has been reasonably happy with preparations as the U21 squad have amalgamated with Derry seniors in training.
Ten of McIver's panel are also members of Brian McIver's senior squad this season.
"The senior panel is completely depleted at the minute so what we've decided to do is put both groups together, and, to be honest, it has been really good.
"You have U21 players that are now being exposed to what it takes to play at senior level. Ultimately that has to be the aim of an U21 manager.
"Not every team can be successful. If we can make sure there are 10 boys that step up from the U21s into the seniors I would see that as being a successful year.
"You have to look at the bigger picture. The schools in Derry have been so strong, the club underage is so strong... But the fact our U21s are training with the likes of Mark Lynch, Fergal Doherty and Sean Leo McGoldrick, they have really benefited from that."
The carrot for McIver stepping into the U21 breach was that he'd managed the squad when they were minors.
"I always fancied another crack with them to see how we got on."
The Ulster U21 Championship will be played to a finish inside a month with tomorrow's night's opener being followed by four quarter-finals next Wednesday night.
The holders, Cavan, who face rivals Donegal in Ballybofey next week, are going for five-in-a-row at U21 level.
McIver added: "I think this level is very, very important. There is more chance of an U21 player progressing to senior level than there would be for a minor. A minor player has to go through an unbelievable amount of transition in order to get to senior football.
"This panel doesn't resemble the minor panel I had. Some boys that struggled to make that minor panel went away, learned the harsh reality of what is required to be a senior player, came back and are now brilliant players.
"Other players that thought they'd done it at minor level aren't even on the panel any more. I've been at the coal-face of it and have actually seen the difference between minor and U21."
At last night's launch where the Ulster Council unveiled the U21 competition's new sponsor, EirGrid, President Martin McAviney remembered former Antrim hurling manager Jim Nelson who passed away on Sunday night.
McAviney described Nelson as a "true and selfless gael".
FIXTURES
Tomorrow: Preliminary round:
Derry v Down (Celtic Park);
Wednesday March 18: Quarter-finals: Tyrone v Fermanagh (Healy Park), Armagh v Antrim (Athletic Grounds), Donegal v Cavan (Pairc MacCumhaill), Monaghan v Derry or Down (Iniskeen or Pairc Esler)
Wednesday April 1: Tyrone/Fermanagh v Armagh/Antrim; Donegal/Cavan v Monaghan/ Derry/Down Wednesday April 8: Final