John Brennan might well have been buoyed over the weekend by Gerard O'Kane's return to county duty during a challenge game against Roscommon, but his mood will have been tempered by news that full forwards Paddy Bradley and Cailean O'Boyle are both currently nursing injuries.
It appears that a hamstring injury will keep O'Boyle on the sidelines for up to four weeks. With Derry's opening game in the Ulster SFC over five weeks away, the Lavey man should have enough time to make a recovery that would enable him to play a part in that game, against either Cavan or Donegal. However, missing games for his club in the meantime is not ideal preparation.
Paddy Bradley meanwhile, picked up a knee injury in Saturday's defeat against Roscommon and sat out Glenullin's league game on Sunday. It is hoped the knock is only minor, but the former All-Star will go for a scan on Thursday to reveal the full extent of the injury. It has been a remarkable season so far for Bradley, considering the speed at which he found his form and the amount of minutes he played during the NFL campaign after spending most of 2011 on the sidelines following a cruciate injury. Indeed his performance level was one of the bright spots of an otherwise forgettable league season for Derry, and his talents will be a key component of the Oak Leaf's Championship challenge this summer.
Staying with the forwards, Conleith Gilligan returned to action with Ballinderry Shamrocks on Sunday. It was his first game since going through a hernia operation last month. Both Derry and Ballinderry fans will be delighted to see one of their main marksmen back on the pitch, but with the Shamrocks boasting former Derry players such as Enda Muldoon, Kevin McGuckin, Raymond Wilkinson and Colin Devlin in their ranks, you could argue that the Oak Leafers are in greater need.
At the other end of the field, Gerard O'Kane's appearance - following a knee injury - has provided some welcome good news on the injury front, but corner-back Dermot McBride sat out the Roscommon game on Saturday as well as Ballinascreen's victory over Banagher on Sunday as he continues to shake off the leg injury that prevented him from featuring in five of Derry's NFL games. John Brennan played McBride at centre-half back in the league game against Westmeath and he has featured at midfield for his club this season, but following a porous NFL campaign for the Oak Leafer's defence, the 'Screen man's services might be best utilised in a man-marking role.
On the field the news wasn't great either, with Roscommon recording a four-point victory in Saturday's game played at Steelstown. The concession of two first half goals left Derry with plenty of work to do, and they never fully recovered as the game wore on. Eoin Bradley made an appearance in the second half, as did Lee Moore and Mark Lynch. Added to Enda Lynn's form during the NFL you would imagine that Brennan has plenty of strength in the forward division. The rest of the team will take a bit more thought however.
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