Mark McHugh among four to leave Donegal panel

Donegal look set to be without 2012 All Star forward Mark McHugh for their championships opener against Derry on May 25th as he and other members of the team have reportedly walked off the panel for the foreseeable future.

McHugh is one of four players understood to have informed manager Jim McGuinness that they no longer intend on being part of the panel.

McHugh won an All Star award in 2012 after helping Donegal to All-Ireland Championship success. He only appeared as a substitute in Sunday's division two defeat to Monaghan at Croke Park, and then did not appear at all at Donegal training on Tuesday night.

Three other substitutes from that game - Thomas McKinley, Gary McFadden and Anton McFadden - are also reported to have opted out.

For McHugh, from the Kilcar club, 2014 has already been something of a frustrating year as injury kept him out of the Donegal team for long stretches.

He was named to start in their final round game against Armagh, but was replaced before the start - and again didn't get to start in the six-point defeat to Monaghan on Sunday, although he was introduced after 28 minutes, coming into the forward line for Christy Toye.

Whether McHugh returns or not in time for the Derry game at Celtic Park now remains to be seen - with influential midfielder Rory Kavanagh already ruled out of that game after picking up a straight red card on Sunday.