Ulster SFC preliminary round - Donegal v Derry
Venue: MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey Date: Sunday, 6 April Throw-in: 14:00 BST
Coverage: Watch live on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website; text updates & in-play clips on BBC Sport website
Chrissy McKaigue says Brendan Rogers being ruled out of Derry's Ulster Championship opener against "overwhelming favourites" Donegal would be a massive blow for the Oak Leafers.
Rogers has been named at full-back for Sunday's Ballybofey contest which will be live on the live on BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website but his fitness has been in some doubt after he was forced to miss Derry's final two Allianz Football League games as they eventually suffered relegation.
Paddy Tally's struggling side are already minus former All-Stars Gareth McKinless and Conor McCluskey in addition to goalkeeper Odhran Lynch and Anton Tohill because of injury.
Ciaran McFaul, Lachlan Murray and Niall Loughlin have also been bothered by knocks in recent weeks although McFaul and Murray have been named in the starting team with Loughlin included in the substitutes.
With Lynch ruled out, goalkeeper Neill McNicholl is one of three championship debutants alongside Martin Bradley and Dan Higgins, who will partner Conor Glass in midfield.
"It [Rogers being ruled out) would be massive and possibly a game definer," said McKaigue over the fitness concerns in relation to his Slaughtneil club-mate.
"If Donegal play Michael Murphy from the start which you would imagine on the edge of the square, Brendan is either going to be needed there or he's going to be needed to play against a lot of potential Donegal midfield pairings, Ciaran Thompson, Michael Langan, Hugh McFadden and the list goes on.
"Donegal are very strong aerially and Brendan will be needed at some end of the pitch."
McKaigue helped Derry to back-to-back Ulster titles in 2022 and 2023 and last season's Division One title but announced his inter-county retirement in November.
Derry's slump was started when Donegal ambushed them in their Ulster Championship opener at Celtic Park last April and given their drop to Division Two, amid their injury crisis, few are backing them to upset Donegal at MacCumhaill Park.
"You can label it as excuses or whatever but there is a very simple reality that Derry are missing a lot of players this year due to injury and unavailability which hasn't given Paddy Tally an easy start," added McKaigue.
"[And] it seems from the outside that Jim McGuinness has methodically planned his way right to this point where he did his work early in the league and primed himself for a massive performance in the first round of the championship."
Donegal: (tba)
Derry: N McNicholl; D Baker, B Rogers, M Bradley; C Doherty, P McGrogan, E McEvoy; C Glass, D Higgins; E Doherty, Paul Cassidy, C McFaul; N Toner, S McGuigan, L Murray.
Subs: B McKinless, N Loughlin, P McGurk, D Cassidy, B McCarron, M Doherty, C Devlin, C McMonagle, R Mulholland, C Diamond, K Quinn.
