DONEGAL half-forward Martin McElhinney has denied that there has been a bust up in the camp.
Four players - Gary McFadden, Thomas McKinley, Antoin McFadden and 2012 All Star Mark McHugh - have quit Jim McGuinness' squad.
Speaking at the launch of the Ulster SFC, McElhinney said: "A number of the boys have left, it is probably that they have other commitments.”
"The way inter-county football has gone, there are serious commitments in playing for your county team so you'd have to wish the boys good luck and there are no hard feelings or bad terms, they just decided to pull the plug themselves.
"I was chatting to lads from Antrim and Down and for them it is 20 minutes to get to training. Personally, it could be an hour or an hour-and-a-half to get to training.
"It is a big commitment, but the sacrifices are worth it."
Donegal PRO Ed Byrnes also denied that the departures are a result of unrest in the squad.
"They were out in Portugal a week ago [for warm-weather training] and there was no bust-up in the camp," Byrnes told the Irish News.
"We are as shocked as anybody else if players have left the panel, but I would categorically state that there is no bust-up within the camp."
