James McCartan's second term in charge of the Down senior footballers will get underway in Ballybofey tonight.

The Mourne men make the trip to MacCumhaill Park where they will face Declan Bonner's Donegal in the Dr McKenna Cup.

With the Kilcoo contingent unavailable, McCartan has called up plenty of fresh faces for the first round clash (throw-in 7.30pm).

Derry manager Rory Gallagher will give two players their senior debuts in tonight's other game in the pre-season competition.

2020 All-Ireland MFC winners Matthew Downey and Lachlan Murray are both set to start in attack for the Oak Leafers against Monaghan at Owenbeg (7.45pm).

Meanwhile, Monaghan will play two games this weekend as they also prepare to face neighbours Fermanagh in Clones on Sunday (1.30pm), with manager Seamus McEnaney naming two different sides.

Down (v Donegal) - Rory Burns; Denis Murtagh, Finn McElroy, Gerard Collins; Ruairi McCormack, Niall McParland, John McGeough; Anthony Doherty, Josh Connery; Odhran Murdock, Tom Close, Jack McCartan; Barry O'Hagan, Pat Havern, Andrew Gilmore.

Derry (v Monaghan) - Oran Lynch; Conor McCluskey, Padraig McGrogan, Shea Downey; Ethan Doherty, Conor Doherty, Jack Doherty; Oisin McWilliams, Emmet Bradley; Paul Cassidy, Benny Heron, Matthew Downey; Niall Toner, Niall Loughlin, Lachlan Murray.

Monaghan (v Derry) - Rory Beggan; Shane Hanratty, Conor Boyle, Ryan Wylie; Karl O'Connell, Dessie Ward, Daragh McElearney; Killian Lavelle, Niall Kearns; Fintan Kelly, Andrew Woods, Barry McBennett; David Garland, Gary Mohan, Darren Hughes.

Monaghan (v Fermanagh) - Rory Beggan; Kieran Duffy, Shane Woods, Colm Lennon; Fergal Hanratty, James Mealiff, Conor McCarthy; Conor Leonard, Kieran Hughes; Jason Irwin, Shane Carey, Karl Gallagher; Aaron Mulligan, Jack McCarron, Micheal Bannigan.

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