DONEGAL have been hit with a raft of injuries ahead of their crunch opening clash with Kerry in Ballybofey on Sunday.
Ace forwards Michael Langan and Ciarán Thompson will be out for a “matter of weeks”; promising Oisín Gallen has a long-term injury; while a major doubt surrounds ’keeper Shaun Patton and Shane O’Donnell and Ethan O’Donnell will not be available for the foreseeable future.
In confirming the injury list, Donegal team manager Paddy Carr said he was not prepared to go into the nature of those injuries.
“I would like to say we will have a full deck for the Kerry game, but we haven’t,” Carr said.
“There is no secret in the fact that we have a number of lads who have long-term injuries, and they are being treated on a daily basis.
“Without going into the nature of their injuries, Oisín Gallen won’t be in consideration for the first and second round of the League.
“Michael Langan is in the same situation and Ciarán Thompson is out with an injury that he picked up in the Dr McKenna Cup.
“In terms of these two lads’ recovery, you are talking about weeks as opposed to months.
“And then there is a question mark over two or three others, which we will make after training on Thursday.
“The unfortunate thing is that these are all injuries that the lads carried into the new season.
“They are all injuries that they picked up from the inter-county season last year or with their clubs, so these are very good club men and they would have been playing with those injuries.
“So it would be foolhardy to push them into games if the medical evidence is to the contrary.”
Carr also confirmed that Shane O’Donnell, who was a key figure last year, would not be part of the squad for the immediate future.
“Shane has made a decision this year, as of this moment, not to commit to Donegal and we respect his reasons for that. He is currently tied up with Sigerson Cup football, but that can change.”
There is also major concern over the availability of ’keeper Shaun Patton, who is currently a garda based in Sligo.
“We are not sure about Shaun,” Carr added.
“I could not predict if he would be right for Sunday either, and we have to take the medical advice and that will go right up until the 11th hour.”
Another absentee is Ethan O’Donnell, who has gone travelling.
