Dublin have named a familiar line-up for Sunday's championship opener against Louth. There is only one change from the team defeated by Cork in last month's National Football League final: Ian Robertson returns from injury in place of Niall O'Donoghue.

This change involves the team in a succession of positional switches, principally involving Robertson himself who is moved to full forward after a league campaign which had established him as the county's first-choice centre back.

As a minor Robertson played at full forward as well as a number of other central positions. Throughout this season, he had played as defensive pivot until a groin injury kept him out of all Dublin's play-off matches, against Kildare, Armagh twice and Cork.

One of the considerations behind his switch is believed to be that his play at centre back would be inhibited by the after-effects of the injury whereas he would be required to do less running as a targetman full forward.

Anyway in his three championship seasons, Roberston has now started at full back, half forward and full forward. His place in defence is taken by Shane Ryan who started the league final at corner back. Ryan's place is taken by Tomo Lynch who moves from the wing with Paul Curran, who played centre back against Cork, reverting to his usual position of right half back.

There are also changes in the forwards with Jim Gavin named at centre forward in a switch with Declan Darcy who starts on the wing. Enda Sheehy moves from centrefield to the wing in a swap with Brian Stynes.

To accommodate Robertson's arrival, captain Dessie Farrell moves to the right corner where he made his championship debut seven seasons ago.

There are four championship debutants on Sunday's team, allowing for the fact that Shane Ryan played half forward for the county hurlers last week and that Enda Sheehy has previously come on a substitute.

Dublin will hope there is an omen in Sheehy's one championship outing when he came in as a replacement for Charlie Redmond in the first-round win over Louth four years ago, the last time Dublin won the All-Ireland title.

There are five changes from the side which finished the last championship outing, against Kildare a year ago. Eamonn Heery, Mick Deegan, Dermot Harrington and Keith Barr are no longer on the panel whereas Jason Sherlock will sit on the bench.

He played little during the league because of soccer commitments up until the final when he was sent off six minutes after being brought into the match.

Meanwhile, Armagh have made a couple of changes to the team which lost the league semi-final replay to Dublin last month. Peter Loughran comes in for Diarmuid Marsden who has still not recovered from a groin injury originally sustained in the Railway Cup but which was exacerbated in the second Dublin match and caused the player to be substituted after a few minutes.

Marsden is named on the bench but will undergo a further fitness test tomorrow to find out whether he has a chance of making an appearance against Donegal in Ballybofey.

There are also some positional switches. Justin McNulty moves from centre forward to centrefield in a swap with Paul McGrane.

There are only two championship newcomers, Ciaran Hughes and Peter Loughran although full back Ger Reid and half forward John Rafferty haven't played championship for two years while Rafferty's previous experience was as a defender.

The team shows five changes from the side beaten by Derry in the championship last year. As well as Loughran coming in for Marsden, the McEntee twins from Crossmaglen have failed to regain their places after missing most of the league campaign because of commitments in their club's All-Ireland winning run.

They are replaced by Reid and Hughes. Neil Smith has retired and Rafferty takes his place whereas Cathal O'Rourke, who was injured last year, reclaims the full forward spot instead of Barry Duffy who is suffering from a long-term injury.

Although their league campaign ended in disappointment, Armagh had a very good run in the divisional stage and were unbeaten after losing their first match - as it happens to Donegal.

"In the early stages of the league, the Donegal match, we were poor," says joint manager Brian McAlinden. "We sat down for two hours after the match and sorted a few things out. Between then and the second Dublin match we weren't beaten. We made the play-offs and felt it was an achievement although the week after the Dublin match was a downer."

The counties haven't met for six years and relatively few survive from that replayed fixture, won by Donegal. "Most of them are new faces but that's history. It doesn't matter what team played that day. The future is all that matters."

Teams

Dublin: D Byrne; P Moran, P Christie, T Lynch; P Curran, S Ryan, K Galvin; C Whelan, B Stynes; E Sheehy, J Gavin, D Darcy; D Farrell, I Robertson, B O'Brien.

Armagh: B Tierney; E McNulty, G Reid, M McNeill; C Hughes, K McGeeney, A McCann; J Burns, J McNulty; P McKeever, P McGrane, J Rafferty; P Loughran, C O'Rourke, O McConville. Subs: M Campbell, T McEntee, J McEntee, D Marsden, G Houlahan, A O'Neill, D Wilson, A O'Rourke, D Kelly.