DONEGAL’S four-time All-Star and 2012 Footballer of the Year Karl Lacey is unlikely to face Galway next weekend and is today awaiting scan results on a knee injury.
The Four Masters defender scored an early point in the 0-11 to 0-10 loss to Malachy O’Rourke’s Monaghan in Sunday’s Ulster SFC final but was replaced by Anthony Thompson on 40 minutes.
Lacey (pictured above)Â underwent a scan yesterday at Letterkenny General Hospital and Donegal manager Rory Gallagher’s medical team have estimated a two to four-week absence, which means the 30-year-old is not expected to feature in Donegal’s All-Ireland round 4B qualifier against Galway on Saturday week, August 1.
Should Gallagher’s team come out on top of that particular clash, Mayo, the Connacht champions for the fifth year in succession, lie in wait in the All-Ireland quarter-finals seven days later.
“We’d to let the swelling go down and are expecting the results this afternoon,” Gallagher said today. “It could take up to four weeks so the chances of Karl featuring against Galway are extremely doubtful.
“It’s a blow. Karl is our centre-back and had been playing very well. He’s always got a scoring threat and started the Ulster final well.”
Gallagher added that Frank McGlynn and Neil McGee have respective back and knee strains but are expected to train tonight.
After a Monday recovery session at the Aura Centre in Letterkenny, Donegal returned to training on Tuesday night following their defeat at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones – a match in which Donegal kicked 15 wides, 11 of which came in the second half.
“We got back swimming on Monday and then training on Tuesday,” Gallagher added. “It was very disappointing to lose against Monaghan having started so well for the first 10 or 15 minutes. Monaghan, to their credit, took over from then till half-time but we had played better in the second half, although didn’t take our chances.”
Gallagher, having watched the replay of Patrick McBrearty’s late effort, which would’ve salvaged a draw in injury time only to be waved wide was not complaining about the call.
“To be honest, it’s inconclusive,” he said. “Ive watched it a few times and sometimes you think it’s over and then  other times you don’t. What’s important now is Galway.
“I know it’s a little awkward for the supporters as it’s a long distance for some of them but from a playing perspective we are happy with Croke Park. Galway are a team who have had a lot of success at underage in recent times and having been making progress and gaining confidence since Kevin Walsh took over.”
