Lacey back in the fold for champions

Footballer-of-the-year Karl Lacey returns to the Donegal side for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final with Mayo in Croke Park (4pm).

While Lacey was named to start in Donegal’s Ulster championship opener against Tyrone, he was used as a substitute in that game and missed the semi-final win over Down before returning to the starting 15 in the final loss to Monaghan.

He was named to start last week against Laois in the qualifiers but was replaced before throw-in by Declan Walsh, whose place he takes for the repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final. The All-Ireland champions’ assistant manager Rory Gallagher had refused to rule out Mark McHugh after he suffered a perforated eardrum, concussion and a quad muscle tear in the Ulster final, but he has not made a sufficient recovery to be considered for inclusion.