BRENDAN MURPHY, who missed Offaly's entire NHL campaign, returns to the starting line-up for Sunday's Leinster senior hurling quarter-final clash with Laois at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise.

The Ballyskenagh clubman has been named at left corner forward on a team that includes three championship debutants in Diarmuid Horan, Conor Mahon and Ger Healion. However, Rory Hanniffy and Joe Bergin are notable absentees through injury.

Last year's beaten All-Ireland hurling finalists, Limerick, have suffered a pre-championship blow as defender Maurice O'Brien has left the panel because of work commitments and an ongoing ankle problem.

"He's working in Dublin now, and coming up and down from there for training would have been difficult," said manager Richie Bennis. "He doesn't think that the injury will be ready until after the first round of the championship and it's the third time he's suffered with this problem."

O'Brien damaged the ankle on the all-weather pitch at Parteen six weeks ago.

Waterford have suffered another blow with the news that Ken McGrath will miss Sunday week's Munster senior hurling championship match with Clare.

The centre back - who joins Stephen Molumphy, Séamus Prendergast, Paul Flynn, Eoin Murphy, Dan Shanahan and Eoin Kelly on the injury list - sustained a knee injury during the team's training camp in Portugal last week and requires keyhole surgery.

OFFALY (SHC v Laois): B Mullins; D Franks, G Oakley, M Verney; D Horan, D Kenny, K Brady; J Rigney, C Mahon; D Hayden, G Healion, D Molloy; B Carroll, P Cleary, B Murphy.

FERMANAGH (SFC v Monaghan): R Gallagher; S Goan, H Brady, P Sherry; D Kelly, R McCluskey, T McElroy; M Murphy, S McDermott; R Keenan, J Sherry, M Little; E Maguire, M McGrath, C McElroy.