Donegal back in collective training this week ahead of challenge in Galway

THE DONEGAL senior football team return to collective training this Thursday night, just over three weeks out from the start of the Dr McKenna Cup campaign.

The squad has been broken up into ‘running groups’ which will assemble on Tuesday night while the squad, as a whole, meets at the Centre of Excellence on Thursday night.

Donegal have been drawn against Fermanagh, Down and St Mary’s College in the McKenna Cup, with the fixtures for that competition to be determined by the Ulster Council’s Competitions Controls Committee on Tuesday evening.

Donegal manager Rory Gallagher has included 12 new players in his squad for 2016 with no retirements from the 2015 panel.

Darach O’Connor and Michael Boyle face lengthy lay-offs after undergoing cruciate surgery recently, while there remain hopes that double All-Star goalkeeper Paul Durcan could return for the 2016 Championship.

Martin McElhinney had surgery on a Gilmore’s Groin complaint, but is expected to feature in the McKenna Cup, as is Anthony Thompson, who has had an ankle injury corrected.

Donegal’s preparations continue on Saturday when they travel to play Galway in a challenge game.

A planned challenge against Derry at Coláiste Ailigh was called off yesterday because of the weather. Gallagher told Donegal Sport Hub: “We were disappointed that the game wasn’t played. We were geared up for a game and we’d like to have got the run out.”