A PERFORATED EARDRUM, concussion and a quad muscle tear have lead to Donegal’s Mark McHugh to be ruled out of next Saturday’s crunch qualifier clash against Laois in Carrick-on-Shannon.
Jim McGuinness’s side are aiming to bounce back in the Round 4 tie from last Sunday’s Ulster final loss to Monaghan in Clones.
But they will have to do that without their key forward after he suffered the injuries after a heavy collision with Monaghan player Stephen Gollogly in the early stages of last Sunday’s game.
BBC Sport Northern Ireland has reported that last year’s All-Ireland winning attacker will now be absent for the meeting with Laois.
McHugh had to be substituted in the 9th minute of last Sunday’s tie with David Walsh coming on to replace him.
His absence was a huge blow to Donegal’s prospects of claiming their third consecutive provincial senior crown and they eventually slumped to a 0-13 to 0-7 loss.
Now McHugh will be unavailable for Donegal again and if they are successful against Justin McNulty’s side, the Kilcar club man could also be sidelined for their All-Ireland quarter-final tie on the August Bank Holiday weekend.
His younger brother Ryan could come into the team as his replacement after he was brought into last Sunday’s tie at Ulster final at half-time. He impressed during his second-half cameo and fired over a great long-range point.
Won’t impact them really. Those are not huge losses. Munster v Wasps– now that was a squad decimated by COVID.
Serious chance here lads
@whoowhat?: you mean there’s a chance……
@whoowhat?: Eden Park, that would be historic altogether.
@Keith McCarthy: in llyod christmas’s world maybe
@daveyt: so you’re telling me there’s a chance ?
@Sean McCarthy: too right mate, put a few shrimp on the barbie ;)
What do people make of those billboards they’ve put up anywhere the Irish team are due to go? Stinks of desperation if you ask me. Are the NZ team embarrassed by them or are they lacking confidence that they take solice in them? If anything they’re going to fuel the fire in the Irish camp, probably exactly what we need after Ulster and Leinster feeling a bit dejected after the URC exits.
@SPQH: billboards?
@SPQH: take it as a compliment and a laugh, Irish bookmakers have done same, but much witter and better. Its really a non story
@SPQH: A Kiwi gambling company TAB NZ behind this.
Good luck to them provoking Paddy Power’s social media team!
@Paul Kennedy: wittier*
@SPQH: i don’t think they matter much, if it generates a bit of rivalry and sells more tickets fair play, maybe is a compliment that NZ fans are taking Ireland seriously.
@Paul Kennedy: OK fair enough, didn’t realise it was a bookmakers that was behind it.
@Doug Storms: Yeah, 3 outside Missouri.
Ireland can give back the players they robbed from new Zealand
@Tony Mcgrath: and then New Zealand can give back all the players they robbed from Tonga, somoa etc it works both ways
@Sole Trader: Australia & Scotland too.
@Tony Mcgrath: Ah c’mon. You can be more creative than “robbed”. Put some effort in man.
@Tony Mcgrath: robbed? Like what they did to Isa?
Getting Joe Schmidt on board reeks of desperation from Foster I think .
@Macus Mc Mahon: more like Feeks
All Blacks obviously taking a leaf out of the Tyrone playbook. Ireland beware .