Kerry v Monaghan:Kerry, the perennial favourites, are into the All-Ireland quarter-final as provincial champions after one strenuous game of football. But coming in cold from a six-week lay-off to play a confident qualifying team is a serious test for Pat O'Shea and his team.

Kerry's victory over Cork in early July was a fundamentally solid performance but there were several causes for concern. Paul Galvin was a subdued and distracted figure. While Darragh Ó Sé was brilliant in the air, Cork swamped Kerry at midfield when they brought Michael Cussen, their young target man, out there.

Kerry's defence is formidable even with the retirement of two experienced and towering figures. Tom O'Sullivan has settled in at full back and Aidan O'Mahony has been transformed into a broad and old-fashioned centre back. But as a unit, the Kerry defence was in trouble when Cork switched to their harum-scarum running game. And ultimately, Kerry almost lost a match that they controlled for 70 minutes.

Monaghan have made it this far by beating Ulster opposition exclusively and admirably as they performed against Donegal, the league champions looked in some disarray. But Séamus McEnaney has bulked up his squad and their brand of football pays homage to Armagh's wonderfully utilitarian system, where every man knows his job.

Vincent Corey has been a revelation at full-forward but he has been named at full back where he will be pitted against big Kieran Donaghy. Monaghan have a big and mobile midfield. Tommy Freeman has confirmed his pedigree as an All-Star forward but Monaghan need scores from Stephen Gollogly and also a more forceful display from Paul Finlay, their playmaker.

The defence work like demons but even against Donegal, their tendency to get stretched was in evidence. Kerry will work on that and if Eoin Brosnan is allowed to ghost unmarked in front of Donaghy, he will score goals.

Mike Frank Russell and Colm Cooper complete a formidable full-forward unit with the giant target man.

KERRY: D Murphy; M Ó Sé, T O'Sullivan, P Reidy; T Ó Sé, A O'Mahony, K Young; D Ó Sé, S Scanlon; D O'Sullivan, E Brosnan, P Galvin; C Cooper, K Donaghy, MF Russell.

MONAGHAN: S Duffy, D Mone, V Corey, C Flanagan; D McArdle, G McQuaid, JP Mone; D Clerkin, E Lennon; S Gollogly, P Finlay, D Freeman; C McManus, R Woods, T Freeman.