The provincial football championships get underway this weekend and for the second year in a row, neighbours Donegal and Derry face each other first in Ulster.
Last year, the Oak Leafers suffered a surprise 4-11 to 0-17 preliminary-round defeat, and Donegal will host Sunday's quarter-final (Live on RTÉ2/Player) having enjoyed a much more successful Allianz Football League campaign, earning eight points to relegated Derry's one.
However, league form had little impact 12 months ago, when Derry came in as Division 1 champions.
For Paul Flynn, a six-time All-Ireland winner with Dublin, the bigger factor is the health of Paddy Tally's panel.
"Donegal-Derry is a big game, a big rivalry," he told RTÉ Sport.
"The unfortunate situation is that Derry seem to have a number of injuries.
"There are question marks around some of their key players; they've been named in the panel, but I'm not sure about their fitness levels. Brendan Rogers, Ciaran McFaul and Lachlan Murray, Conor McCluskey, Odhran Lynch and Anton Tohill.
"These are key guys for Derry and they haven't got the largest squad.
"So I’ll be really keen to see if these guys are fit or if they're covering up on injuries, but hopefully they are fit and give us a really good game. It’s a difficult situation for Paddy Tally, with his preparation."
After a campaign that ended in a narrow All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Galway, Flynn suggests that "Donegal look really poised to attack this championship, in Jim McGuinness’ second season.
"The possession control, their shots-to-attack efficiency is second to none, and their dominance of kickouts is key with the new rules.
"You've got Eoghán Bán Gallagher, Ryan McHugh, Peadar Morgan driving from the back, strike runners, Michael Langan and Ciarán Thompson in the middle of the park.
"But up top, they've just got a range of scores. Michael Murphy returning, Oisín Gallen and Patrick McBrearty are key guys there, and the O'Donnells [Niall and Shane] who I have been really impressed with as well.
"So I just feel that this is going to be a difficult game for Derry.
"They had an up-and-down league campaign, with some good performances, but unless those key guys are fit, I don't see them being able to challenge this Donegal team."
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
Watch The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates from around the country on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio
