The All-Star defender, pictured right, sat out his side's last two Dr McKenna Cup games - the semi-final meeting with Down and Saturday night's final victory over Tyrone - and manager John Joe Doherty admitted last night (Monday) that the Four Masters man was his biggest concern for Sunday's trip to the midlands.

"Karl has been struggling with a knee injury and has missed the last two games and to be honest I'm not too sure what the situation is with him regarding Sunday. We will know better after training tomorrow night (Tuesday)," Doherty told the Donegal People's Press/Democrat.

"Up to now we have been leaving it very much up to Karl and the physio and really that is where it is at. But after tomorrow night we should be in a better position to say whether or not he will be in the frame for Mullingar.

"It is one of those niggly injuries and the last thing we want to do is rush him and maybe play him when he is not one hundred per cent and doing more damage and maybe losing him for a lot longer.

"We will see how he goes tomorrow night in Castlefin and after that we should have a better idea though it may be Thursday night before we make a final call on his fitness."

Doherty's only other worry surrounds his former club colleague Michael Maguire who, despite coming on in the closing minutes of Saturday's night game, is also rated doubtful.

"Michael pulled a musle in his chest and while we introduced him late in Saturday's game, given the nature of the injury it is a risk playing him. It might take him a little longer to fully recover, but like Karl we will know better after training tomorrow night."

With no other injuries reported from Saturday night's game and given the continued absence of Rory Kavanagh, Christy Toye, Barry Dunnion, Brendan Boyle and Dara Gallagher, the team for Sunday's joust with Westmeath will be not be a million miles away from that which defeated Tyrone.

The only exception is that if Lacey proves his fitness, he is be expected to be included, while the manager might also be tempted to include fit again Conall Dunne, who has shaken of the effects of a back injury that sidelined him for the latter stages of last season.