Jim McGuinness has defended his team's upcoming six-day training camp in Portugal.

The 2012 All-Ireland champions will board a plane destined for the Algarve tomorrow for a warm-weather training camp ahead of their FL2 final showdown against Monaghan.

"One of the things about trips away is you get the chance to sit down and talk to players one-on-one," McGuinness explained to the Irish Times.

"You're also without the pressure of the lads going to work or going training or running home again. Everybody has their own little pressures at home as well, so to be out of that environment, and be nice and relaxed, is always good. And I suppose the bit of sun helps as well.

"It's also good for us just to recharge the batteries after a hard enough league campaign, and just talk about football all the time. That can only be good for the whole group. . . ."

Donegal are not only team heading to sunnier climes this Spring. The Kerry footballers are due to travel to the Algarve in a couple of weeks while the Waterford hurlers have just returned from the popular tourist destination.

With promotion to Division 1 secured, Donegal are focussing all their preparations on their upcoming Ulster SFC against in-form Derry.

"Derry's form has been very, very impressive and it's going to be a massive challenge for us to try and go into Celtic Park and win that match.

"Hopefully the week away will give us an opportunity to streamline a few things going into that game, to work on things that we've been trying to develop over the course of the league, nail some things down, then move towards May 25th with a bit of intent.

"It's nice to be looking forward to a league final as well, against Monaghan, so it really is good timing for us." Tweet

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