DCU boss critical of McGuinness

DCU manager Niall Moyna has accused Donegal boss Jim McGuinness of "abuse of players" after Martin McElhinney picked up an injury warming up for a challenge game on Saturday.

McElhinney, a student at the Dublin university, was given time off in the preparations for last night's O'Byrne Cup clash with Meath because of upcoming examinations.

McElhinney was then called to play in Donegal's challenge match against Monaghan.

He picked up an ankle knock in the pre-match run-out in Clones.

Moyna told RTÉ Radio: "Martin is in the middle of his examinations at the moment. I spoke to Martin this morning before we left, but I only found out at 5:15pm that the management team at Donegal demanded that he go play a challenge game against Monaghan today.

"What annoys me is not so much that he had to play the game, but that it is in the middle of his examinations when we have purposefully given him time off. So he lost the whole day, went up to Clones, and turned on his ankle in the warm-up, and we didn’t have him tonight.

"He wouldn’t have played tonight [for DCU] if we known he had played today [for Donegal], and I think there is something wrong there. We talk about player welfare and that is abuse of players.

"I understand the pressure that inter-county managers are under, but to ask a player to go play a game the same day they knew he had a semi-final that evening and in the week that he is studying for his exams is an important issue that needs to be addressed."

Moyna wants GAA officials to look further into the issue of player welfare and wants to speak to McGuinness about McElhinney’s selection.

"I didn’t get the chance [to talk to Jim McGuinness] and I would like to. Martin was extremely upset and really the players are a pawn in this. Martin McElhinney hasn’t signed a contract with anyone.

"I don’t own him and Jim McGuinness does not own him. He is an amateur player, playing in an amateur organisation, trying to get an education and we should be facilitating that."