No rush on Donegal’s injured stars - Declan Bonner

Donegal manager Declan Bonner won’t be rushing any of his injured aces back to action.

Donegal begin their Dr McKenna Cup campaign at home to Down on Friday-week, January 7, with a month to go until the Allianz League opener against Mayo on January 30.

The Mayo game, at Markievicz Park, next month ‘may’ be a realistic target for captain Michael Murphy.

The Glenswilly man has been hampered with a hamstring injury since the outset of the 2021 Ulster SFC campaign.

Murphy played for Glenswilly in the Donegal SFC, saying at the end of October that he was ‘managing my way through things’

“He’s working his way back and he’ll not be far away,” Bonner told the Donegal Democrat.

“We aren’t going to force or rush it. We won’t put a timeframe on it and it’ll take its course.”

Bonner hopes to get some League game time into Hugh McFadden and Jamie Brennan, who underwent surgery on groin and ankle injuries.

“Hopefully come the League they’ll definitely play a role,” Bonner said. “It’s not that long and we’ll see how they’re getting on. They’re also not far away. Again, we won’t be rushing them and we’ll make sure they’re right before getting them back in.”

Veteran full-back Neil McGee, who sustained a back injury in the 2021 Ulster semi-final loss to Tyrone, is, the manger said, ‘a more longer term project’.

McGee’s return to the county colours is perhaps geared with the Ulster SFC quarter-final against Armagh circled in his calendar.

Odhrán Mac Niallais and Eoin McHugh are two who have stepped away from the squad and next week’s game against Down is likely to see some debuts handed out.

Bonner said: “We have a lot of young lads coming in and thee is a lot of energy in the group.

“We have taken a number up from the under-20s. We’ve been back in four weeks now and we have a good body of work done.

“It’ll be great to get back into that competitive environment again next week.”