Jim McGuinness offers positive update on Donegal injuries

Jim McGuinness is positive about Donegal's prospects of having a full squad to chose from in the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Donegal sealed a passage straight to the last eight via a 2-23 to 0-5 beating of Clare in Castlebar on Saturday.

Donegal were without midfielder Jason McGee, due to a groin complaint, but McGuinness offered a positive assessment about the Cloughaneely man.

“We are hoping that he will definitely be available for the quarter-final,” McGuinness said.

“He had a groin issue from the Cork game and we decided to take a precaution. We have two weeks again now to build him up. Hopefully Jason will be with us.”

Caolan McColgan, out at the moment with a hamstring injury, was described as being “very close again”.

Substitute goalkeeper Gavin Mulreany was not in the panel for Saturday's win over Clare. McGuinness explained that Mulreany was left out as a 'precaution' having 'picked up a nip in training'.

The Donegal manager said: “We thought that it might have been more serious than it was, but it turned out to be very little. He will be back training on Tuesday night.”

McGuinness praised his back-room team for the work on the injuries. It had been an extensive list following McGuinness's second coming as Donegal manager with Conor O'Donnell the latest to make a comeback at the weekend.

McGuinness said: “It has taken a long time. A part of the whole thing with a team is to put them in a place where they can be robust.

“Antoin (McFadden) has done huge work from an S&C perspective. Everybody has been working overtime for a lot of months because we have had so many injuries.

“We are trying to manage that and deal with that. Slowly but surely they are getting everyone back in and back healthy again. Hopefully we can travel to Dublin and not lose anyone in between.”