TOUGH TO BREAR
Donegal without injured Paddy for Division Two showdown with Armagh
PADDY MCBREARTY is out of Sunday’s Division Two final encounter with Armagh at Croke Park.
Donegal are awaiting the results of a scan on the All-ireland winning forward to learn the extent of his injury.
Both Mcbrearty and Ryan Mchugh were forced out of the weekend victory over Meath.
Speaking at the launch of the Ulster Championship at the University of Ulster in Belfast last night, Donegal boss Jim Mcguinness said: “Hopefully Ryan won’t be too bad. We’ll see how he is when the medical team assesses him.
“Paddy definitely won’t be involved this weekend.
“There is a strong element of managers and players being on tenterhooks because of one slip.
“Injured Kerry full-back Jason Foley is in that situation since last week. Time frames are so tight and you could miss everything. Literally everything.
“Even if you do get back, are you going to be at the level to compete because of the intensity of the games you are going into? It is tricky, really tricky for players.”
Meanwhile, Monaghan boss Vinny Corey says they’re playing “the waiting game” as goalkeeper Rory Beggan waits to hear if he’s landed an NFL American football contract.
“It’s very much he doesn’t know himself what the story is,” said Corey.
“He shot very well the last day, I was speaking to him after that and he was very happy with how he went.
“I know he has put a lot of work into what he is doing and from his point of view it’s a waiting game now.
“It’s a bit of a limbo. He has nothing new to report, no word of any contract or anything like that.”
Corey is unsure if or when Beggan will be home. He continued: “I’m not too sure what the plans are. It could change at any stage.
“He was supposed to fly home three weeks ago and it changed and I think he was planning to come home shortly but again it’s all up in the air. If he got interest from a club, is my understanding, he’d stay out, visit them and talk to them so it is very much up in the air.
“Listen, he’s been Monaghan’s number one keeper for over a decade now and we haven’t blooded any other keeper.
“In fairness to Darren Mcdonnell it is his first year and Rory Beggan’s are big enough shoes to fill.
“Darren has improved game on game and it was a high pressure situation he was coming into.
“Despite all the hype with Rory, he has improved a lot Darren.
“But listen,
Rory Beggan would be classed as one of the top three keepers in the country so it was always difficult.”