Jack McCarron and Gavin McPhillips to start for Monaghan against Donegal

Jack McCarron during the Round 2 match between Monaghan and Clare at St Tiernach’s Park. File picture: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile

Jack McCarron and Gavin McPhillips are named in the Monaghan team for Saturday’s All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Donegal in Croke Park.

McCarron scored 1-3 coming off the bench in the final group win over Down last Sunday week, while McPhillips was not involved in the game in Armagh city.

They are the two changes to the side with Killian Lavelle and Stephen Mooney moving to the substitutes where Gary Mohan has also been announced having missed the Down match.

From the Monaghan team that featured in the county’s last SFC appearance, the 2023 All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Dublin, there are only eight survivors – Rory Beggan, Ryan Wylie, Kieran Duffy, Dessie Ward, Conor McCarthy, Stephen O’Hanlon, Micheál Bannigan and Ryan McAnespie. Darren Hughes, Lavelle, Mohan and Karl O’Connell began that game and are among Saturday's listed reserves. Conor Boyle, Kieran Hughes and Conor McManus have since retired.

MONAGHAN (SFC v Donegal): R. Beggan; R. Wylie, K. Duffy, D. Byrne; R. O’Toole, D. Ward, C. McCarthy; M. McCarville, G. McPhillips; A. Carey, M. Bannigan (c), R. McAnespie; J. McCarron, A. Woods, S. O’Hanlon. 

Subs: K. Mulligan, R. Boyle, L. Kelly, D. Hughes, G. Mohan, C. McNulty, J. Irwin, K. Lavelle, S. Mooney, D. Garland, K. O’Connell.