Offaly have introduced two fresh faces for their Leinster football quarter-final against Kildare, the second game in Sunday's double-bill at Croke Park. Paul McConway and Trevor Phelan - both just turned 20 - were named at wing back and wing forward respectively by manager Kevin Kilmurray, who is again forced to watch the game from the stands because of a sideline suspension.
Phelan was a late replacement for defender Ger Rafferty in the first-round win over Westmeath last Sunday week, but this time takes over from John Reynolds at left wing forward. McConway will make his first championship appearance, replacing Kevin Lynam at right wing back.
Pascal Kellaghan was again named at full forward despite suffering from an eye infection, but Kilmurray was hopeful he would recover in time for Sunday.
Taking the sideline duties for the day will be selector Gerry Cooney, and Kilmurray is happy to give him the responsibility: "I'm lucky I do have a very good backroom team," he said. "Gerry coped very well the last day."
Kildare manager John Crofton is sweating over the fitness of several key players. He hopes to finalise his team later today, but ruled out his veteran defender Glenn Ryan, who sustained a broken sternum bone in a recent challenge game with Galway last Saturday week.
Also missing will be Damien Hendy, who has been out for several weeks with a fractured arm. David Lyons, who was part of last year's championship at wing back and played throughout the league, is also struggling to be fit. Kevin O'Neill, who was full back in the league, has a knee injury and reports suggest he will not be fit to play either.
The big hope is that Anthony Rainbow will recover from a hamstring injury in time. Mark Hogarty could start at full back after filling in for O'Neill in their final league game against Laois, with Padraig Mullarkey, who played in three of Kildare's four championship games last year, expected to start in the half-back line.
The injury problems also clear the way for former Galway All-Ireland winner John Divilly to take a defensive position for his adopted county. There is better news surrounding Dermot Earley, who is back to full fitness after a broken collarbone.
Wexford meet Meath in the other quarter-final and manager Paul Bealin will finalise his team after training this evening - with full back Philip Wallace ready to start having recovered from a broken arm.
Meath report no injuries and will finalise a team tomorrow, with Ollie Murphy coming closer to starting fitness having scored the equalising point in Saturday's challenge with Cavan.
Wicklow have appointed selector Jimmy Callaghan from Blessington and adviser Gerry Grehan from St Jude's in Dublin as caretaker managers in the wake of Hugh Kenny's resignation as manager. Two of Kenny's three selectors, Conan Daye and Anthony Gray, also resigned on Sunday.
Dublin manager Paul Caffrey will be closely watching tonight's county championship second-round replay where Alan Brogan will play for St Oliver Plunketts-Eoghan Ruadh against St Vincent's. Brogan has been sidelined in recent weeks with a hamstring problem, now thought to be related to a trapped nerve in his lower back, but is hopeful of returning for Dublin's championship opener against Longford on Sunday week. Definitely out is Darren Magee, who recently had an operation to repair a damaged bone in his hand.
In hurling, Westmeath manager Seamus Qualter is already looking forward to their Leinster semi-final against Kilkenny on June 11th, having secured a memorable win over Dublin on Sunday. Qualter is hoping Dermot Curley can make it back in time having missed the Dublin game because of a groin injury. He also paid tribute to 19-year-old Killian Cosgrove, who is set to be out for the year because of a back injury.
OFFALY (SF v Kildare): P Kelly; G Rafferty, S Sullivan, N Grennan; P McConway, S Brady, K Slattery; C McManus, A McNamee; C Quinn, N Coughlan, T Phelan; T Deehan, P Kellaghan, N McNamee.
