DARACH O’CONNOR AND Michael Boyle are on course to be fit for Donegal’s Ulster SFC campaign with their respective recoveries said to be ahead of schedule.
Both players ruptured cruciate ligaments within weeks of each other last autumn.
Buncrana man O’Connor started the 2014 Ulster and All-Ireland football finals, but an appearance as a sub in last year’s Ulster final against Monaghan was his only SFC game of 2015.
While O’Connor will miss Donegal’s Ulster Under-21 campaign, which begins against Derry or Antrim in March, he is expected to be in the reckoning for the senior championship.
“Darach is working long-term on his recovery and we’re confident that come June 12 we’ll have Darach working at 100 per cent,” the Donegal manager, Rory Gallagher, told Donegal Sport Hub.
“He is ahead of schedule at the moment. Come April, we expect him to be back in training. The medical team are very pleased with his progress.”
Donegal will open their Ulster Championship campaign on June 12 when they face the winners of the preliminary round match between Fermanagh and Antrim.
By then, Boyle could also be in line to play competitively again, too.
The goalkeeper spent the summer playing for Donegal Boston after withdrawing from the Donegal squad following the Ulster SFC quarter-final win over Armagh in June.
Upon his return, Boyle suffered the cruciate injury in training with Termon.
Gallagher said: “Michael should be back in training around May so we’ll have him available for the summer. He’s doing really well.”
