Down defender Darren O'Hagan admits he "wouldn't have a clue" whether or not Benny Coulter is set to return to the Mourne County squad.

Rumours and counter-rumours have been doing the rounds that the Mourne County great is set to return to the intercounty stage, having announced his retirement in November, 2014 at the age of 32.

Down could do with him at the moment, after a toothless display against Donegal in the opening round of the league and with top scorer Donal O'Hare suspended, but Clonduff clubman O'Hagan has no idea what's happening:

"I wouldn't have a clue. Nobody knows. That's between the management and him," he tells The Belfast Telegraph. "I know he'd work commitments in January. We're just working with whatever players are at training, and that's it, trying to move forward.

"Our training has been as good as any other year. We're probably doing the same as Donegal but they had that bit more experience and better players on the night. They've been making the last eight over the last four or five years whereas Down haven't.

"Ryan Johnston went off, Jerome Johnston's not back yet and Conor Maginn and Paul Devlin weren't playing. That's four or five forwards, key players, and we were probably lacking a bit up front. Donegal set up so well and we didn't know how to get past them. But those players should all be back in after the break and that should help us."

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