FORMER Donegal forward Brendan Devenney has claimed that Michael Murphy will not feature against Galway in Saturday’s All-Ireland Round 4B qualifier at Croke Park.
Devenney was the guest of Ger Gilroy on UTV Ireland’s Friday Night Sport and said that the Donegal management were willing to hold their captain (pictured above), who is said to have a knee injury, in the hope of a possible All-Ireland quarter-final against Mayo on Saturday, August 8.
“Murphy’s out, 100 per cent,” said Devenney, who played for Donegal from 1998 to 2007. “They’re keeping him back for the next game.”
Donegal are already without 2012 Footballer of the Year Karl Lacey, who picked up a knee injury in the 0-11 to 0-10 Ulster SFC final loss to Monaghan last Sunday week.
Anthony Thompson was named by Donegal manager Rory Gallagher as Lacey’s replacement in the starting team for Galway that was released on Friday evening.
It will be the Naomh Conaill defender’s first championship start for Donegal since least year’s All-Ireland final against Kerry, which ended up in a 2-9 to 0-12 loss for Jim McGuinness’s team.
Gallagher said on Monday that he expected Murphy to play against Galway.
“He did have a slight knee ligament injury before we played Monaghan, but the last thing we want to do is make excuses,” Gallagher said.
“Michael was fit to play. The injury was causing him a small bit of distress, but he didn’t damage it any further.
“These things carry legs. If we train somewhere and someone doesn’t train the whole thing gets magnified.”
Gilroy tweeted the news …
Bombshell dropped by @brendandevenney on @FNS_UTV tonight that Michael Murphy is out for the Galway game.
— Ger Gilroy (@gergilroy) July 31, 2015
However, Gilroy later suggested that Devenney might be using some ‘Donegal picardia’ (cuteness or prank)!
Course he could be using a bit of the aul Donegal picardia, eh @brendandevenney ? #gaa
— Ger Gilroy (@gergilroy) July 31, 2015
