Brian McEvoy has been passed fit for Kilkenny in Sunday's All-Ireland hurling final against Offaly. The midfielder came through last night's training session at Nowlan Park but will be monitored between now and Sunday to make sure there's no adverse reaction to his shoulder injury.

There was also good news for 22-year old John Hoyne who has been called into the team for his first championship start after missing nearly all of last year with a back injury which required surgery. He will play instead of Stephen Grehan who drops to the bench. This will be a blow for Grehan who has started all the matches to date but was substituted towards the end of the semi-final win over Galway, replaced on that occasion by John Paul Corcoran.

A member of the 1998 panel, Hoyne has much the same build as Grehan and has been impressing at training. There was speculation leading up to the announcement that the Graigue-Ballycallan player might take the place of McEvoy at centrefield should the James Stephens player fail his fitness test. In the event, a place was found for him anyway.

McEvoy's fitness has been a matter of concern since the semi-final against Galway. Many in the county feared that he wouldn't even be considered for selection so the news that he has come through a trial is a surprise. At best it had been thought that the centrefield position would be left vacant until nearer the weekend.

Assuming he plays, this represents a lift for Kilkenny's morale as McEvoy has been one of the most impressive players in the county's three-year sequence of All-Ireland finals. He cleaned out Brian Whelahan two years ago when the counties last met in an All-Ireland - and unwittingly turned the tide as the move of Whelahan into the forwards proved a decisive influence in Offaly's victory.

Should the injury recur before the final, the feeling in Kilkenny is that a straight replacement will be made with the experienced Canice Brennan, who has manned two different central positions in the last two All-Irelands, favourite to partner Andy Comerford.

Overall Kilkenny show three changes, including Hoyne's, in personnel from the team that narrowly lost last year's All-Ireland final to Cork. Noel Hickey, full back on last year's successful under-21 team, has graduated to senior ranks this championship and played in both of the matches since displacing Sean Meally for the Leinster final. Canice Brennan filled the number three jersey 12 months ago.

Eamonn Kennedy has made the centre back position his own this season. Last year he played through the Leinster championship but picked up an injury and lost his place to Pat O'Neill for the semi-final against Clare. This year, with O'Neill retired, he has been a fixture.