The City skipper was a glaring omission from the teamsheet as the Brandywell club scored a dramatic late winner in the North West derby against rivals Finn Harps in Ballybofey tonight.
Reports over the weekend had suggested a second bid for the defender from the League One club had been accepted by Derry and Toal would be travelling to the North West of England for a medical this week.
Afterwards Higgins was quizzed about the former Northern Ireland U21 international's situation and claimed the move wasn't yet official but 'looks close'.
"It's not official but obviously he's not here today," said the City boss. "He's a proper man, a really good player and I've got nothing but good things to say about him," he added.
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When pressed on when he felt the move would be officially complete, Higgins wasn't prepared to give a definitive answer.
"I think there's been reports over the last 24 hours that it's close and it looks close."
The 23 year-old Armagh man has made 155 appearances, scoring six goals for Derry since joining the club midway through the 2017 season.