McDermott return in doubt

It is now almost certain that John McDermott will play no role in Meath's championship campaign this summer. As manager Sean Boylan prepares his team for Sunday's pivotal National Football League tie with Mayo, he is still without the services of the midfielder who hasn't trained with the panel since last November. Reports of retirement earlier this year were dismissed by McDermott, but with Meath's Leinster championship opener with Westmeath now just eight weeks away, his return is becoming increasingly unlikely.

Although he has played with his club Skryne in recent weeks, one source in Meath says there has been no indication of when - if ever - he will return to the county set-up.

With just one win from their five league games, Meath are under pressure to bring home some points from Ballina in order to avoid a relegation showdown in their final Division 1B game against Laois. There was some positive news for Boylan last Sunday when Enda McManus - who retired last year because of a back injury - returned to the starting line-up for the O'Byrne Cup win over Westmeath.

Boylan will await the all-clear on Nigel Crawford following yesterday's Sigerson Cup action before finalising his team this evening. Opponents Mayo, currently top of Division 1B, have a lengthy list of injuries and won't name until tomorrow.

Galway manager John O'Mahony is still hopeful that "common sense will prevail" and the throw-in time for Sunday's meeting with Dublin at Parnell Park will be switched from 3.30 to 2.0 - despite the initial response from Croke Park being negative. The later start doesn't fit in with Galway's return travel plans by train.

O'Mahony is unlikely to name his team until tomorrow morning. Declan Meehan was unable to train on Tuesday night because of a knee injury, and he is likely to join an absentee list that includes Tomas Meehan (shingles), Gary Fahy (ankle), and Shay Walsh (suspension). However, is it possible that Tomas Mannion will make his first appearance since returning to the Galway panel, even if it is as a substitute.

Kerry have made one change from last Sunday's win over Dublin for the visit of Donegal. Noel Kennelly, a substitute for Billy Sheehan last Sunday, now takes the starting place at wing forward.

Donegal are still not totally clear of relegation worries and manager Mickey Moran has further injury problems for the trip to Tralee. Damien Diver, Martin Coll and Brendan Devenney are all doubtful and the team won't be finalised until today.

A final decision on how the foot-and-mouth outbreak will affect Louth's status in Division 1A will be decided by Central Council at this weekend's GAA Congress. With their concluding two games against Dublin and Tyrone called off, and the battle for relegation revolving around Dublin, Louth and Kerry, it may yet be necessary for those games to be refixed.

In hurling, Wexford have left a vacancy at full back for Sunday's Division 1B game with Derry in Gorey. With Darragh Ryan ruled out of contention with a shoulder injury, manager Tony Dempsey has decided to leave a vacancy in the hope that Rod Guiney will pass a fitness test on a hamstring injury.

KERRY (SF v Donegal): D O'Keeffe; M Hassett, S Moynihan, M McCarthy; T O Se, E Fitzmaurice, K Scanlon; D O Se, D Daly; N Kennelly, M Fitzgerald, D O'Dwyer; MF Russell, D O Cinneide, A Mac Gearailt.

WEXFORD (SH v Derry): D Fitzhenry; C Kehoe, AN Other, S Flood; L O'Gorman, L Dunne, D Ruth; A Fenlon, M Jordan; D Stamp, P Codd, R McCarthy; B Goff, C Byrne, P Finn.