By Michael McMullan

MONAGHAN are planning for Sunday’s Ulster Championship preliminary round visit of Cavan without Andrew Woods.

The Inniskeen front man was sent off by Niall Cullen for a strike in the Farney County’s final league game against Mayo in Clones.

The one-match suspension was upheld at last Thursday’s meeting of the GAA’s Centre Hearings Committee (CHC) and Monaghan have now drawn a line under it.

Under rule 7.2 (b), Category III, Woods’ misses the next game in the “combination” of National League or Senior Championship.

There was the option of taking the CHC decision to the Central Appeals Committee but Monaghan are planning without Woods.

He is one of four players – with Darren McDonnell, Jason Irwin and Ciaran McNulty – to have played in all of Monaghan’s games in 2024 with 1-4 to his name.

Aside from Monaghan’s injuries concerns over Micheál Bannigan and Stephen O’Hanlon, there is the talk about Rory Beggan’s status within the squad.

The Scotstown goalkeeper, who was on trials for an NFL contract in the US, is at home and was present at the Farney training camp last weekend.

Corey will be able to call on Cremartin’s Stephen Mooney who didn’t feature in the county’s 1-11 to 2-6 defeat on Wednesday night in the Ulster U-20 Championship.

Mooney scored 0-18 for the senior and saw National League action against leaving sides Dublin, Kerry and Derry.

Sunday will be the first Cavan v Monaghan clash since 2020 when current Breffni boss Raymond Galligan kicked a 55-metre winning free in a 2-15 to 1-17 extra-time win in Clones on their way to lifting the Anglo Celt Cup.

The winners of Sunday week’s encounter will take on Tyrone in the quarter-finals.