Mayo wait on McDonald decision

2004 All-Star Ciaran McDonald is yet to reveal his intentions for the 2006 season to new Mayo manager Mickey Moran.

Mayo kickstart the National Football League with a floodlit duel against Kerry on Saturday night, and are certain to be without McDonald, who has not linked up with the county squad since last season.

Coaxing McDonald, who turned 31 three weeks ago, back to inter-county football could be the first major challenge of Moran's term with the westerners.

Moran said: "Ciaran made it clear how he felt before Christmas. He said he had no intention of playing at that particular time because he had enough of it which is understandable after the length of time he had been involved at the top level.

"Ciaran is due to come back to me on the issue but we asked him not to leave it too long. We would hope to know in the next couple of weeks but the decision is obviously entirely up to Ciaran," he told the Mayo News.

Moran is due to confirm his 35-man panel, as well as his captain, for the 2006 campaign in the lead-up to Saturday's trip to Tralee.

The enigmatic McDonald skippered Mayo throughout last season's run which was ended by Kerry in August's All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals.