Donegal boss Paddy Carr plays down skipper Paddy McBrearty injury fear

Rumours have been swirling around the north-west that McBrearty, the last playing survivor from Donegal’s 2012 All-Ireland triumph, could be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

But new Donegal boss Paddy Carr has yet to receive any definitive prognosis and is keeping all options open ahead of Sunday’s crucial NFL Division 1 clash with Monaghan.

“Patrick had to be taken off the field with what was very evidently a hamstring injury in Omagh last Sunday week. All it is, he’s being medically assessed at the moment . . . there’s nothing more than that,” Carr told theIrish Independent.

“Every team has knocks and bruises, so we’re actually waiting for a full assessment before we can say anything about that. Genuinely, of the lads who played against Tyrone, they’re all in contention. I just have to be guided by the medical people.”

Carr also stressed that there is “no date” yet for Ryan McHugh’s return from injury. McHugh, a Kilcar clubmate of McBrearty, has yet to feature in this year’s league.