Dublin boss Dessie Farrell has been handed a welcome boost on the eve of the championship with the news that - according to the Irish Times - stalwart defender John Small is back in training with the All-Ireland hopefuls.
A month ago, Small looked to have played his last game of inter-county football when his long-time county team-mate, Ciarán Kilkenny, suggested the Ballymun halfback was "unlikely" to return to the fold.
"He knows he'd be welcome to come in if he wanted, but it’s unlikely he’ll be back this year," Kilkenny commented at the time.
Small holds seven All-Ireland medals, 10 Leinsters and was one of nine Dubs included in the All-Star team when Farrell lead them to their sixth All-Ireland senior football title in a row in 2020.
The veteran's return may be coming at a perfect time for the perennial Leinster champions after Farrell expressed his disappointment with his team's seeming lack of desire and fighting spirit in their Allianz League defeat in Tyrone on the final day of the league season - a loss which cost them any chance of playing in the Division 1 final.
"We never brought the intensity or fight that was required," Farrell told RTÉ Sport after the loss.
"We knew what was at stake coming into this game. It was a big game for us, we knew they'd be very competitive.
"It was a big game for us, in terms of making it to a league final and another competitive game which would have been very welcome."
Small's no-nonsense approach was a hallmark of his play during his day's on the Dublin 40.
Farrell will be hoping the 32-year-old still has some of that grit, spit and polish in the locker ahead of their provincial opener against either Wicklow or Longford on Sunday week.
Watch Donegal v Derry in the Ulster Football Championship on Sunday from 1.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
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