Kilkenny and Cork go into Sunday's National Hurling League final in Thurles with the teams which started in their semi-final victories over Limerick and Tipperary, respectively.

Kilkenny's Brian McEvoy returns from suspension, but he is likely to be named among the substitutes, which will be confirmed later in the week.

Four players will start in their first national senior final; defender Richie Mullally, midfielders Derek Lyng and Pat Tennyson, and full forward Martin Comerford, brother of Andy.

Cork were hoping that Joe Deane would return to their attack, and although his thigh muscle injury has improved since missing the last day, it flared up again at the weekend while training for his club and once more he has been ruled out.

Ben O'Connor and Eamonn Collins have switched corner forward positions from the last day, with O'Connor lining out on the left and Collins on the right. That means there is no place for Seanie McGrath or Neil Ronan, and instead they are named on the bench, as is Timmy McCarthy.

Laois, meanwhile, will be without full back Paul Cuddy for their Division Two hurling final against Antrim, to be played as a curtain-raiser at Thurles. Cuddy was sent off on a straight red card against Wicklow in the championship last Saturday and is automatically suspended.

For their Leinster football championship game against Louth in Navan on Sunday, Longford give championship debuts to Fintan Coyle (left full back), Ronan Clyne (left half forward) and David Barden (right full forward), whose older brothers, Enda and Paul, are also in the team.

CORK (SH v Kilkenny): D Óg Cusack; W Sherlock, D O'Sullivan, F Ryan; D Barrett, J Browne, S Ó hAilpín; A Cummins, J Gardiner; J O'Connor, K Murphy, N McCarthy; E Collins, A Browne, B O'Connor. Subs: B Rochford, P Mulcahy, T Kenny, M Prendergast, P Ryan, T McCarthy, N Ronan, S McGrath, K Murray.

KILKENNY (SH v Cork): J McGarry; M Kavanagh, N Hickey, P Larkin; R Mullally, P Barry, JJ Delaney; D Lyng, P Tennyson; J Hoyne, H Shefflin, A Comerford; E Brennan, M Comerford, S Grehan. Subs: to be announced

LONGFORD (SF v Louth): G Tonra; S Carroll, D Ledwith, F Coyle; C Conefrey, D Blessington, E Ledwith; C Keogh, E Barden; T Smullen, P Barden, R Clyne; D Barden, N Sheridan, P Davis.