MARTIN MCELHINNEY and Anthony Thompson are in line to make their first appearances of the year tonight when Donegal face Fermanagh at Brewster Park in their final group game of the Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup (throw-in 8pm).
The two are back in action having been out with injuries in the closed season.
McElhinney had surgery on a Gilmore’s Groin ailment that bugged him throughout 2015 while Thompson underwent ankle surgery.
“They could have played if we’d needed them to, but we wanted to give the other lads a chance – they’ll definitely be in the equation, maybe not to start, for Fermanagh,” Gallagher told Donegal Sport Hub.
It is expected that they’ll get game time tonight, while Gaoth Dobhair’s Kieran Gillespie is likely to make his Donegal senior debut tonight.
Another member of the 2014 Donegal minor squad that reached the All-Ireland minor final, Gillespie plays at full-back and is seen as the heir apparent to Neil McGee in Magheragallon.
After appearing as substitutes at half-time against St Mary’s, Gallagher could be tempted to start McGee and Michael Murphy with his team needing a winning margin of five points or greater to stand a chance of advancing to the semi-finals of the competition.
Naomh Muire’s Jack O’Brien was forced off on Sunday feeling a tight hamstring and is a doubt for tonight, while goalkeeper Mark Anthony McGinley will be assessed again.
The St Michael’s stopper injured a groin minutes before he was set to make his debut against Down last weekend and Danny Rodgers has played in the two games since with Gallagher and his backroom team keen to have a look at McGinley in competitive action.
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