Donegal sweat on the fitness of Jason McGee with Conor O’Donnell back in training

Jason McGee is Donegal’s biggest concern ahead of their All-Ireland SFC third-round Group 3 clash against Clare on Saturday week.

The Cloughaneely midfielder was taken off with a hamstring injury in the 41st minute and replaced by Odhrán Doherty in Donegal’s 3-7 to 0-16 loss to Cork at Pairc Uí Rinn on Saturday. Afterwards, manager Jim McGuinness was hopeful that the two-week break – before the third series of games – might stand to McGee.

“Anyone who comes off is a concern,” McGuinness said in Cork. “Jason had been carrying a wee bit during the week, possibly with the quick turnaround and we felt he might be ok. But he tightened up there. We have two weeks now and that’s a positive for us.”

Caolan McColgan also suffered a hamstring complaint in the wake of the Ulster SFC final win over Armagh last month and is on the mend, while his fellow Inishowen man Conor O’Donnell has returned to training having not played for almost a year, also due to a hamstring injury.

“We’re in a good place with Conor,” McGuinness said of the Carndonagh forward. “He’s been reintegrating with the team and we’re delighted to have him back. It’s a case of small steps initially before the game situation. It’s a very good talent and we have to be careful as he’s had a couple of setbacks, so we’ll be careful with him.”

Donegal this week learned that their clash with Clare will take place at MacHale Park in Castlebar on Saturday week, throwing in at 3pm, simultaneously with the meeting of Cork and Tyrone.

The venue for that fixture is understood to be dependent on the outcome of the Joe McDonagh final between Laois and Offaly this weekend, with the winners to take on Cork in the All-Ireland SHL. It’s understood that All-Ireland SHC preliminary quarter-final will be double-headed with Cork’s SFC match against Tyrone, in Tullamore if Laois win the McDonagh and at Portlaoise should Offaly come out on top.

Donegal are currently second in the group, two points behind Cork and level on points with Tyrone, although with a superior head-to-head. To top the group, Donegal must see Tyrone beat Cork and then defeat Clare by a margin of three more points.

The group winner will qualify directly for the quarter-finals, which are down for the last weekend in June, with the second-placed sides getting home advantage against the third-placed teams in the preliminary quarter-finals, which will be played on June 22/23.

GAAGO have confirmed they will not be showing Donegal’s meeting with Clare and instead will screen Cork against Tyrone.

There was a healthy Donegal support in the 7,251 last Saturday in Cork and McGuinness said losing the match was a disappointment of his due to the numbers who travelled, with the match not live on television or streamed anywhere.

“If there is one major disappointment from the game, it’s that we didn’t manage to get something out of the game for the supporters,” McGuinness said. “That is a major disappointment as they travelled a long journey in huge numbers. They probably expected more than what they got in terms of our defensive performance. I am disappointed in that. Hopefully, the next day out we can rekindle that and get things.”

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