McGee has collected five Ulster SFC titles and was an All-Ireland winner in 2012
Donegal defender Neil McGee is worried there will be a big increase in the number of GAA players sustaining serious injuries post-lockdown.
The three-time All Star thinks players will struggle to cope with the rigours of club and inter-county football after months of enforced inactivity due to Covid-19 and that the injuries "will pile up".
The GAA suspended all of its sporting activities on 12 March in response to government advice aimed at combating the spread of the coronavirus.
McGee also says inter-county football and hurling should re-start before the club scene.
Contact training needed 'in near future'
The All-Ireland winning full-back, 34, hopes there will be a senior football championship played in 2020, potentially in October, but believes players need to be allowed to return to contact training in the near future.
"It's a physical game and the injuries will pile up if there is not enough time to contact train," McGee said.
"At the minute we are just running on our own but you need to be able to react to a man.
"You use different muscles in match situations and players haven't been using them for a while.
"I am no expert, but I don't think your body would be up to taking those sort of big hits if we are not back in hard-hitting training soon. We will need time to prepare for it."
McGee has won five Ulster SFC titles as well as an All-Ireland medal in 2012.
But he has also been successful at club level, helping Gaoth Dobhair to a first Ulster club SFC title in 2018.
'Safer to start at county level'
Although the GAA have suggested club games will return before county action resumes, McGee has a different opinion.
"The numbers of people involved in the club game, in terms of every club in Ireland, I just don't see how you could organise that and do contact tracing.
"It is probably safer to start at county level and easier to police it, purely because you have far less playing numbers.
"If the number of new positive cases for the virus starts going up again then fair enough, stop it.
"You could play club football after the championship if all goes well.
"I know the club has been mentioned as starting first, and it may not be popular to say it, but I think it would be a better option to start with the county first."
