BY CHRIS MCNULTY

KARL Lacey is expected to be included in the Donegal starting XV that will line up in Sunday's Allianz National Football League Division 2 opener against Westmeath at Cusack Park, Mullingar (throw-in 2.30pm).

The 2009 All Star winner missed the McKenna Cup semi final and final with a troublesome knee injury, but manager John Joe Doherty was hopeful that the Four Masters man would take a full part in training last night, Thursday, in Castlefin.

"We would hope to have everyone in our current squad available for Sunday's game," Doherty said.

"Karl did a certain amount of work on his own at training on Tuesday night and we'd hope that he'd go into Thursday's training at full strength. He is doing work with the physios and we'd hope to have him for Sunday."

Michael Maguire of Naomh Columba has also been feeling the effects of an injury of late, but he won't miss out on being part of Sunday's panel. Doherty said: "Michael has a nagging injury that just needs time and it hasn't stopped him from playing. Once we get a break for a couple of weeks during the National League, after the first two games, there'll be a good chance for Michael to get over the injury."

While Brendan Boyle and Barry Dunnion are likely to be available for selection on Sunday, they will have to settle for places among the subs with Doherty not willing to throw them straight into the action.

Conall Dunne

Conall Dunne has shaken off a shoulder injury and the St Eunan's attacker will be pushing for inclusion, as will James Keaney, Fergal McNulty and Edward Kelly, the newcomers who impressed in recent McKenna Cup outings.

Doherty has delayed naming his fifteen for the game with the Lake County and is not expected to release it into the public domain until this afternoon.

"A lot of it (squad and team selection) depends on how the Sigerson Cup has gone this week," said Doherty, who had seven members of his squad playing in the Colleges competition on Wednesday (Michael Boyle, Leo McLoone, Stephen Griffin, Anthony Thompson, Ciaran Greene, Mark McGowan and Shane Boyle).

"We would hope that over the course of the next few weeks that we wouldn't have men who are just there to make up the numbers and I'd be happy that a few men did well in the McKenna Cup," Doherty said.

Doherty is unlikely to tinker too much with the team that beat Tyrone in last Saturday's McKenna Cup final.

"It would be great for us to get off to a winning start, that is vital," said the Glenman. "As I have been saying all along, it's very important that we push on now for the League, because we're coming off the McKenna Cup that went very well for us."

Donegal captured the McKenna Cup last January, but found it tough going thereafter - with a first day defeat away to Kerry in the League beginning a difficult 2009 League for the green and gold.

The attitude has been different over the initial few weeks of 2010 though. Doherty said: "It was always going to be tough in Kerry last year, but we have more players back earlier this year and it's vital to have the men back in good shape.

"We have definitely tried to keep the McKenna Cup success more low-key this year. But in saying that, we probably got more satisfaction this year, because it was harder earned with the teams we played.

"We are trying to keep the feet on the ground and not dwell on it at all. Kevin Cassidy has been saying all along that we should take it one game at a time and that's exactly what we're doing.

"It would be a nice position to be in if we could be sitting on four points after these first two games."

Next weekend, Donegal host Laois at Fr Tierney Park, before the League takes a couple of weeks off.

One big target for John Joe during the League this year is that his side can compete better than they did for much of last year's campaign.

He said: "It would be very important that we're competitive. Last year we didn't compete and a lot of games were over long before the end of them. Our intentions this year are to give the League a real go and we have a fair idea of what kind of squad we have move forward. We will have an opportunity to throw lads in here and there, because it's not good for lads to be sitting idle for a long period."