Cavan manager Mickey Graham says he wasn’t willing to risk players carrying knocks ahead of the Allianz League’s start at the end of this month.

Graham experimented with his new team over the past two weeks in the Dr McKenna Cup, picking up wins against Down and Queen’s University before exiting the pre-season competition with an eight-point loss to Donegal on Wednesday night in Ballybofey.

Speaking to The Anglo-Celt after last weekend’s 14-point victory over Queen’s in Ballyconnell, the Breffni boss cited a number of injuries within the panel which he hopes will clear up in the weeks ahead.

“We have a couple of injuries. Gerard Smith, Gearoid McKiernan, Mattie McKenna, Caoimhin O’Reilly, Dara McVeety, we have a number of lads carrying knocks that aren’t long-term – they should be back at some stage this month but at this stage of the year you don’t want to be chancing them.

“It’s an opportunity for somebody else to step up to the mark,” the Cavan Gaels clubman continued.

“Competition for places on the starting team and even the panel for the National League is going to hot up so it’s going to be an interesting three or four weeks now.”

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