BOTH next Sunday's National Football League finalists, Derry and Donegal, have injury concerns.

Derry hope to select their team tonight but full back David O'Neill has been in hospital since last Wednesday. His initial prognosis was a viral infection of the heart membranes but he has had a scan and it is hoped that the ailment may not be as bad as initially thought.

According to Derry selector Frank Kearney, the options open if O'Neill is unable to play - which looks pretty likely regardless of how the scan goes include moving Tony Scullion from corner back or playing Dermot Heaney in the position.

The versatile Heaney has played on nearly every line of a football pitch and was given a run at full back earlier in the League. "We were happy enough with it (the experiment) but he suffered a recurrence of the injury just when he was settling in after the Meath match where he'd played well on Tommy Dowd, which we felt was a fair test."

Opponents Donegal have two injury worries. Wing back Martin Shovlin sustained a shoulder injury against Mayo in the semi final and according to manager P J McGowan, is "not sure but hopeful" of being fit for Sunday.

Full forward Tony Boyle also picked up a knock in the semi final but the calf injury is expected to clear. On the positive side, half forward James McHugh has recovered from the injury which kept him out of the semi final win over Cork.

Meanwhile, Tipperary manager Tom Fogarty is awaiting X rays on full forward Declan Ryan's injured shoulder which restricted his mobility in last weekend's Hurling League semi final against Laois. He was eventually substituted.

Fogarty also revealed that corner forward Kevin Tucker, who was replaced at half time on Sunday had missed a number of training sessions because of examinations and so had been lacking a bit of sharpness. Tucker, whose brother Eddie scored two points in the match, has been one of the county's best performers in the league to date.

Finally, Tyrone centre back Seamus McCallan faces a suspension that may keep him out of the county's opening defence of their Ulster title against Fermanagh. McCallan was sent off in a club match at the weekend.