Armagh have come through two games in Ulster, but have yet to line-out with a full-strength squad.
That could all change for Sunday’s semi-final meeting with Down in Clones after assistant manager Ciaran McKeever issued an upbeat bulletin on the players who missed Saturday’s five-point win over Cavan.
There was a welcome return to action for Jarly Óg Burns, who missed the preliminary round win over Antrim through illness, while Rian O’Neill came off the bench and made a late goal-line clearance to deny Tiarnan Madden.
Read more: Aidan O'Rourke calls for Donegal reset and issues Michael Langan injury update
James Morgan, Tiernan Kelly and Barry McCambridge were all absent from the match-day squad after picking up knocks in training.
Speaking after Saturday’s victory, McKeever stressed that the aforementioned trio didn’t feature as a precaution due to the hectic schedule Armagh face regardless of how they fare in the provincial series.
“There is nothing which is really a major concern,” said McKeever.
“I have said from day one that we're thinking further down the line. If we hadn't the safety net of the Super 16s, you probably would have seen those boys out on the pitch.
“But we felt as though it wasn't a match where we needed to risk them, and possibly put them in jeopardy for five weeks down the line.
“The boys who came in, made an impact, and we're steadily growing and building the squad.
“There has been a lot of rotation within the squad throughout the last four weeks. We believe that doing that will leave us in a better position.”
Armagh are just one win away from making a first appearance in the Ulster Final since their last title success in 2008.
With the new Championship format, some have suggested that winning the provincial title, especially in Ulster and Connacht, might hinder a team’s prospects further down the line.
There’s little doubt that Armagh are desperate to end their Ulster title drought, but McKeever sought to reiterate his belief that the Orchard County have bigger targets in mind this summer.
“This is where people get bogged down. I have five provincial titles myself and I'm proud of them, and we would love for these boys to get their hands on one,” added McKeever.
“But our main focus is making sure that we have a healthy squad. I have said it before, the Super 16s is when the football starts.
“The GAA want to go down a different route. They probably want to lose the provincial championships, because there are only two meaningful ones: Connacht and ourselves in Ulster. The other two are dead rubbers.
“We are in an Ulster semi-final next week, and we'll be going to Clones to try and win the game. Wherever that takes us, it takes us, but we're not firing all of our eggs in one basket.”
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