Donegal manager Jim McGuinness is looking forward to the challenge that local rivals Tyrone will pose in Healy Park today (throw-in, 1pm).
Donegal opened up their McKenna Cup with a facile win over a young Armagh side on Wednesday.
Tyrone are expected to field a much stronger outfit in Omagh, and a win will send McGuinness and his team through to the semi-finals of the pre-season competition.
“I’m looking forward to Sunday’s game because it will be much more challenging against better players.
“It will be more like what we are going to get in the National League so that’s going to help us as a group.”
Donegal lined out with a strong panel of 26 players on Wednesday, and there were still quality players like Hugh McFadden, Eoghan ‘Ban’ Gallagher, Caolan Ward, Conor O’Donnell, Caolan McColgan, and Niall O’Donnell who missed out.
“Hugh has a sort of longer-term injury. He’s got a problem with his knee and he has had it the whole way through pre-season. We’re hoping he won’t be too far away over the next couple of weeks.
“Conor O’Donnell is the same. He’s had a long-term injury. He’s quite a bit away.
“Niall O’Donnell was very close (against Armagh) and then he found a niggle in the past couple of days so hopefully Niall will be back in the reckoning over the next couple of weeks as well.
“It’s important to get everybody on the field and going through the gears night in, night out.
“We haven’t really had that up until this point so we’re hoping to get that traction now.
“That’s why the McKenna Cup this year is an important competition for us because it gives us that opportunity to move through the gears.
“Hopefully some of those lads we spoke about there will be back in at the weekend or over the next few weeks.”
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