McGarrity on the mend for Mayo

Ballina's Ronan McGarrity should return to training with Mayo tomorrow night as they step up their preparations for Sunday's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final replay with Laois.

The 6ft 4in midfielder was stretchered off with a leg injury in the drawn game last weekend, but is likely to retain his place with medical tests revealing little damage.

Liam O'Malley and Trevor Mortimer, who both have hamstring injuries, are continuing to have treatment, while there is encouraging news about David Brady.

The experienced Ballina midfielder, who missed the entire Connacht championship due to a broken metatarsal, could have a role to play off the bench this weekend.

Sunday's game will be Mayo's fifth game of this year's championship, while Laois, who were beaten by Dublin in the Leinster semi-finals, will be lining out for the seventh time.

Laois wing forward Ross Munnelly has welcomed the flurry of fixtures - the O'Moore men played five times in both the 2004 and 2005 championships.

The 24-year-old said: "Another game won’t do us any harm. Games are what bring your football on and you can’t beat the championship for that.

“You have long enough over the winter with six or seven months training behind you, you’re looking to play games. I’d prefer to play six games in eight weeks rather than maybe only one or two.”