Brendan McCole returns to the starting 15 as Jim McGuinness names squad for Cork

St Naul’s man Brendan McCole returns to the starting lineup as Donegal ready themselves for their opening 2024 Division 2 campaign with Cork tomorrow in MacCumhaill Park Ballybofey. 

The 26-year-old full-back comes in for Domhnall Mac Giolla Bhride as Jim McGuinness’s side look to recover from their Dr McKenna Cup final loss to Derry last weekend in Healy Park, Omagh. 

Following their relegation last season from Division 1, where Donegal only won one out of seven league matches, the two-time All-Ireland winners will be hoping to make a good start at home and capture early points, in what is a very hotly contested Division 2. 

The Glenties manager has close to a full squad for tomorrow’s encounter with the Rebel County with Gavin Mulreany and Kevin McGettigan expected to make their league debut.  

Goalkeeper Mulreany will start for the second week in a row due to the suspension of Shaun Patton, after he was sent off in Donegal’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final last year – a punishment which carries into the following season’s league. 

However, Patrick McBrearty’s sending off in last week’s McKenna Cup final will not carry into tomorrow’s match and will captain the side, starting at corner-forward. 

Killybegs’s Eoghan Bán Gallagher returns to the squad following his absence and may make an appearance off the bench, having not played any of Donegal’s previous four McKenna cup matches earlier this month. However, his club teammate Hugh McFadden remains absent from the squad.