Meehan doubt for club semi-final

Galway forward Micheál Meehan is facing a fitness race if he's to line out for his club Caltra in Sunday fortnight's All-Ireland…

Galway forward Micheál Meehan is facing a fitness race if he's to line out for his club Caltra in Sunday fortnight's All-Ireland semi-final. Meehan picked up a knock playing in the Sigerson Cup on Wednesday and although initial fears had eased yesterday's diagnosis has increased anxiety.

"It's a hip flexor muscle tear," said Galway manager John O'Mahony. "He won't play for us before the Caltra match and he won't have much practice until then as he'll be undergoing intensive treatment."

O'Mahony's team to face Armagh in Salthill this Sunday shows two changes from the side that lost to Meath. Clive Monaghan is out with injury and is replaced by National Football League newcomer Barry Dooney at corner back.

In attack, Derry O'Brien drops to the bench, with Matthew Clancy coming in after injury.

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Replacements won't be named until tomorrow in order to clarify if the other Caltra players are available.

Armagh make only one change from the side that scraped past Wexford. Diarmuid Marsden is fit to start and comes in at left corner forward with Paddy McKeever named on the bench.

Kerry manager Jack O'Connor makes a number of changes after last week's surprise defeat by Longford. Most striking is the change in goal, with veteran Declan O'Keeffe making way for Diarmuid Murphy. There is also a vacancy at left corner back.

Tyrone make five changes for the visit of Fermanagh to Omagh for Sunday's Ulster derby. Two debutants come in at the back, with Brendan Donnelly and Shane Sweeney selected at left corner back and left wing back respectively in place of Michael McGee and Ciarán Gourley who drop to the bench.

Only six players retain the starting positions they occupied for the opening day defeat to Dublin.

Otherwise captain Cormac McAnallen, now recovered from a knee injury, starts at full back, where he came on as a replacement against Dublin.

Conor Gormley's goes to the half back line and Colin Holmes pushes forward to midfield, replacing Kevin Hughes, who injured his ankle last week.

The only change up front sees Mark Harte come in for Michael Coleman, with Stephen O'Neill moving from the corner to the half forward line.

John Devine's return in goal suggests that manager Mickey Harte may revert to the goalkeeper rotation policy he employed for much of last season's league campaign. Brian Dooher is ready to face the Erne men, despite the countless knocks he took in a bruising battle against Dublin.

ARMAGH (SF v Galway): P Hearty; E McNulty, J McNulty, P McCormack; A O'Rourke, T McEntee, JP Donnelly; J Toal, M Macken; M O'Rourke, A McCann, S Kernan; S McDonnell, R Clarke, D Marsden.

GALWAY (SF v Armagh): B Donoghue; B Dooney, K Fitzgerald, M Comer; D Burke, D Mullaghy, S de Paor; K Walsh, J Bergin; M Clancy, P Joyce, M Donnellan; D Savage, N Joyce, T Joyce.

TYRONE (SF v Fermanagh): J Devine; R McMenamin, C McAnallen, S Sweeney; C Gormley, G Devlin, B Donnelly; C Holmes, S Cavanagh; B Dooher, B McGuigan, S O'Neill; C McCullagh, O Mulligan, M Harte.

KERRY (SF v Cork): D Murphy; B Guiney, M McCarthy, AN Other; S Moynihan, E Fitzmaurice, A O'Mahony; W Kirby, S Scanlon; P Galvin, D O'Sullivan, E Brosnan; MF Russell, D Ó Cinnéide (capt), R O'Connor (St Michael's/Foilmore). Subs: D O'Keeffe, T Griffin, D Quill, L Hassett, S O'Sullivan, R O'Connor (Kilcummin), D Daly, J Sheehan, M Quirke, B O'Mahony, J Cronin, M Lyons.

TIPPERARY (SF v Waterford): P Ryan; B Hahessy, S Collum, L Cronin; R Costigan (capt), D Byrne, N Sheehan; K Mulryan, A Fitzgerald; N Fitzgerald, F O'Callaghan, J Williams; G Burke, D Browne, D O'Brien. Subs: P Fitzgerald, T Doyle, L England, P Halley, E Hanrahan, N Kelly, C Maher, P O'Mahoney, T Russell, M Tarrant, M Webster.

Seán Moran

Seán Moran

Seán Moran is GAA Correspondent of The Irish Times