VETERANS Darren Hughes and Karl O’Connell have both returned for another crack with Monaghan – but whether Conor McManus joins them continues to hang in the balance.
None of the trio were involved in Saturday night’s charity challenge game against Mayo in Castlebar, but new boss Gabriel Bannigan confirmed Scotstown stalwart Hughes – who turns 38 next month - and Tyholland’s O’Connell, a year younger at 37, were back doing fitness work.
Although neither will be available for the start of the National League, with the Farney’s Division Two campaign getting under way against neighbours Cavan on January 25, they will be involved as the campaign unfolds.
However, the picture is less clear where McManus is concerned.
Yet, speaking to The Football Pod at the end of November, the Clontibret ace indicated that he hoped to return to the Farney fold.
“I still don’t really know,” said the 37-year-old, “I committed to doing a bit of rehab and a bit of strength work over the next five to six weeks, see how that goes.
“If that puts me in a position where I feel like I can get through another year, I will. If it doesn’t, I’ll probably leave it at that.”
With the start of the League just over a fortnight away, that remains the case.
“Darren and Karl have back with us since before Christmas, they haven’t joined in full sessions yet but that’ll hopefully be happening in the next few weeks. They’re progressing nicely,” said Bannigan.
“I’ll be talking to Conor over the next few weeks and see what his position is - I’m hopeful, but there’s no certainties there. At this stage of his career, he knows his body better than anybody else.
“If he does come back, and I hope he does, I’ll be letting ‘Mansy’ lead that himself with the S&C team, and utilising him accordingly. It’s absolutely his call.”
In his first year since succeeding Vinny Corey, alongside whom he has worked for the past two years, Bannigan has cast the net far and wide when pulling together his Monaghan panel for the season ahead.
Injury curtailed O’Connell’s involvement in the early stages of the club championship, while Hughes returned from the injury that ended last year’s county campaign to help Scotstown lift the Mick Duffy Cup once more.
And, with so many young players and fresh faces on board, the Aughnamullen man is delighted to retain some of the experienced figures who have served the county so well through the years.
“To be fair to the three of them, they’re Monaghan through and through, and the three of them want to be playing with Monaghan, and to continue playing with Monaghan. There’s no question about that,” said Bannigan.
“They do everything to make that possible. At this stage Karl’s injuries are cleared up, thank God. Darren’s something similar – he got a bad injury against Cavan in the Championship last year, he came back in the club championship but, as happens sometimes when players come back from bad injuries, there were other minor setbacks. Darren had one or two of those, which would have curtailed him a bit.
“But look, at 37, lesser men would have said ‘what am I at here? I’ve had enough of this’. That’s the type of men they are. They’re not doing it for me and they didn’t do it for Vinny, or ‘Banty’ [Seamus McEnaney], or Malachy [O’Rourke] - they’re putting Monaghan GAA first.
“We have a lot of young lads in, so having them back in the camp and around training, their experience, their voice, it’s invaluable to have those boys around the place. We’re delighted to have them back on board.”
