Mike Quirke's hopes of hitting the ground running with the Laois footballers have been compromised by the news that the Arles-Killeen pair of Donie and Paul Kingston will not be available to him for the 2020 season.
The brothers have been two of the county's most potent attackers in recent years but have opted out of the panel for work and personal reasons just as Quirke has taken over from fellow Kerryman John Sugrue.
Donie Kingston has made himself available before and returned to the fold but this double loss comes on the back of the decision by Stephen Attride, captain this last three seasons, to take a year off to travel in Australia.
Laois kick off the new season with an O'Byrne Cup game against Offaly in Portarlington this Saturday. The midland county will play Division Two football in the spring on the back of successive promotions under Sugrue.