All-Ireland finalists Mayo will have to do without the services of Kenneth Mortimer until next year. A major influence on the team and one of three players shortlisted for the GAA Writers' Footballer of the Year award, corner back Mortimer broke a bone in his foot during a vital relegation match which his club ShruleGlencorrib lost to Castlebar Mitchels.
Commenting on the injury, Martin Carney, adviser to team manager John Maughan, said that the player would miss the remainder of Mayo's pre-Christmas NFL campaign: "Kenneth had been complaining of a pain in his foot since the All-Ireland final and after the injury on Monday, it was discovered that he had cracked a bone. There's a cast on his foot alright but it's not serious. He'll be out for between four and six weeks. In truth, he could probably do with the rest and he'll be back for the second half of the league."
Brian Heffernan is likely to be called into Mortimer's place for Sunday's important Section A NFL meeting with Galway in Castlebar. Back into the reckoning comes centrefielder Pat Fallon who has returned from honeymoon and Liam McHale who is likely to start the match despite having a basketball cup tie with Ballina in Waterford on Saturday night.
In addition to the league points on offer, the match will have early championship relevance as the teams are to meet in the first round of the Connacht championship next year - the same stage at which they played a memorable encounter last May.
There will be further piquancy in the presence of Mayoman John O'Mahony on the Galway line. Appointed to the position last month, O'Mahony is a former Mayo manager and led the county to two Connacht titles and an AllIreland final in 1989.
Galway defer announcing their selection until today and in addition to long-term absentees John Donnellan and Damien Mitchell, centrefielder Sean O Domhnaill has a leg injury which is causing concern.
In the same section, Louth manager Paddy Clarke will be giving Cathal O'Hanlon and Colin Kelly every chance to prove their fitness for Sunday's visit of Fermanagh to Drogheda. Both forwards picked up groin strains in club matches a fortnight ago and missed the weekend's All-Ireland B semi-final victory over Carlow.
In Section B, Derry have a lengthy absentee list for the trip to Ballybofey to take on Donegal. With Dungiven in the Ulster club final on Sunday week, none of the club's players will be considered for selection, thus depriving Brian Mullins of Joe Brolly and the McKeever brothers, Ciaran and Emmet.
On the injured list are Sean Lockhart (torn muscle) and Joe Cassidy (knee injury). Definitely out are Fergal McCusker and Brian McCormack, both with long-term hamstring complaints. The scheduling of the county's under-21 semi-finals for Saturday will give Mullins and his selectors an anxious afternoon as six of the team that started against Westmeath are in that age group and Derry had only three substitutes that day.
Kerry have applied to Croke Park to bring forward the throw-in time of their match with Wexford to 1.30. This is to facilitate the playing of the county final replay between East Kerry and Laune Rangers on the same programme. None of the competing finalists will be considered for selection by the county team.
Adrian Cush is out of Tyrone's match with Sligo at Omagh. Cush will be abroad on business, and his absence is a further attacking blow to a Tyrone side already without Peter and Pascal Canavan and Eoin Gormley, all club-tied with Errigal Ciaran, who play Dungiven in the Ulster Club final. Defender Damien Teague, who made an impressive debut against Wexford, is also extremely doubtful due to a calf muscle injury.
Finally in Section D, club matters also intrude with Cork's management not considering any of the Castlehaven or Beara players in advance of their county final replay on Sunday week. Other county championship fixtures affect the choice open to Larry Tompkins and his selectors with Pat Hegarty and Ronan McCarthy both in action for their clubs at the weekend.
