Kilcar’s Ryan McHugh will play no part in the 2018 Donegal senior football championship, it has emerged.
McHugh suffered concussion in a challenge game against St Vincent’s of Dublin in Cavan last month.
The champions had hoped that the Donegal ace would be given the go-ahead for Sunday’s quarter-final meeting with Naomh Conaill in Tir Chonaill Park.
However, McHugh has been ruled out of not just that game, but of the remainder of the Championship.
“Ryan won’t make this year,” Kilcar manager Barry Doherty said.
Doherty, who is already without star forward Patrick McBrearty due to a cruciate injury, confirmed McHugh would be unavailable ‘regardless of how far we get’.
“It’s a huge blow, yeah, of course it is,” Doherty said.
“We’ve only had him for one League game all year and other lads will have to step up and we’ll need to get more out of them.”
Pauric Carr, who sustained a dead leg in Saturday evening’s win over Sean MacCumhaills in Ballybofey, is expected to resume training tomorrow night and should be cleared to line out against Naomh Conaill.
The game is a repeat of last year’s final, which Kilcar won to end a 24-year wait for Dr Maguire.
Doherty added: “To win a Championship, you’d have to meet and beat Naomh Conaill at some stage. For us now, it’s about preparing as best we can. We know this won’t be easy and we need to be ready for the battle.
“I think it adds more pressure on Glenties with our two key men out. They will be favourites and will expect to beat us.”
