All-Ireland Qualifiers: McHale Park is expected to fill its 35,000 capacity on Sunday week as the third round of the All-Ireland football qualifiers brings the double-header of Derry v Limerick and Clare v Sligo to Castlebar.
However, two of the best midfielders around will not be on view as Derry's Fergal Doherty and Sligo's Eamonn O'Hara are ruled out with ankle and knee injuries, respectively, sustained over the weekend.
There was good news for Doherty after it was revealed he did not suffer a fracture, but a scan on O'Hara's injured knee yesterday revealed medial ligament damage and some cartilage scarring.
Under-21 player Kenneth Sweeney is definitely out of the Clare game with a pulled hamstring while Brendan Egan, son of selector Neil Egan, is receiving treatment for a hamstring injury. Brian Curran is being treated for a back spasm.
"It is a good venue," said Sligo manger Dominic Corrigan. "Just fine for the supporters of both counties. We have no complaints at all as most of the players would have played there at underage."
Derry and Limerick met last year in a fourth-round qualifier when the Ulster team won 0-10 to 0-7, just six days after Liam Kearns' men lost the Munster final replay to Kerry.
Also on Sunday week, neighbours Cavan and Meath do battle at St Tiernach's Park in Clones.
Wexford and Monaghan meet in Clones this Saturday to see who plays Louth on Saturday week. If Wexford win, the game goes to Parnell Park in Dublin, but if Monaghan prevail, the tie takes place in Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan.
Wexford manager Pat Roe must plan without regular full back Philip Wallace after he decided to depart for America yesterday. Wallace informed Roe on Sunday of his decision.
"It's a huge loss of course as he has been the Wexford full back for five or six years and was one of our most experienced players. A natural leader as well.
"In fairness, he said in December that he wouldn't be playing this year," continued Roe. "We convinced him to stay for the league then the Leinster championship so he changed his plans, but he couldn't put them on hold any longer.
"He said he would stay for the Leinster championship but the topography has changed since then."
Wallace, a secondary school teacher at Terenure College in Dublin, hopes to rejoin the panel next season when he returns from his travels. "The decision for me was a difficult one," he said. "This is something which has been uppermost in my mind for some time. While I don't like going at this stage, the travel bug has been with me for some years. Hopefully, the lads don't feel I'm letting them down at this stage of the campaign.
"I spoke with Pat Roe. While he was disappointed, he accepted my intention to travel and wished me well. I will be back in September."
David Murphy is another player disrupting Wexford plans as he damaged medial ligaments in the Leinster semi-final defeat to Dublin and has not trained since. A team will be announced tomorrow night with Monaghan selecting on Thursday.
Three provincial football finals will be played on Sunday. Armagh are expected to select their team tonight with Joe Kernan naming from a full panel, apart from the suspended Paddy McKeever. Cork and Galway teams are also expected with Kerry and Mayo announcing tomorrow evening. Mickey Harte selects his Tyrone line-up on Thursday.
Kerry's young midfielder Paddy Kelly is struggling with an ankle injury, leaving the door open for William Kirby to return. Seámus Moynihan is available after missing the opening championship ties against Tipperary and Limerick.
One veteran panellist definitely out is Noel Kennelly whose injury-jinxed career continued last Sunday when he suffered suspected cruciate ligament damage playing for his club, Listowel, against Dingle.
Galway hope to recall Joe Bergin and Padraic Joyce for the Connacht final against Mayo, but Niall Coleman is doubtful with an illness. Under-21 full back Finian Hanley may start ahead of Kieran Fitzgerald.
The Mayo panel is also in decent shape although Peadar Gardiner (medial ligaments) may join Keith Higgins (dislocated elbow) on the sidelines.
Dublin gave valuable game time to their three returning panellists Darren Magee, Dessie Farrell and David Henry in challenge matches against Galway and Monaghan last weekend. Tomás Quinn picked up a hand injury but is expected to recover, while corner back Stephen O'Shaughnessy is back in non-contact training.
Their Leinster final opponents, on Sunday week, Laois, must plan without young forward Shane Cooke after he failed in an appeal to the central disciplinary committee last Thursday to have a red card, received against Kildare, overturned.
