ALL-IRELAND SFC QUARTER-FINAL DUBLIN v TYRONEROSS McCONNELL comes back into the Dublin side for Saturday's All-Ireland football quarter-final against Tyrone and will surely be charged with containing the opposition's makeshift full forward Seán Cavanagh.
Cavanagh is an All Star midfielder and effective half forward, but Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has persevered with the big man on the edge of the opposition square throughout this summer and Cavanagh appears to be finding his feet.
McConnell, also a former midfielder, was hailed as the answer to Dublin's problematic number-three jersey since Paddy Christie faded off the scene last season but was dropped after the Leinster semi-final when the smaller, faster Westmeath attacker Denis Glennon gave him an awful afternoon.
David Henry lined up at full back in the Leinster final against Wexford, Dublin's last outing back on July 20th, while the centre back Bryan Cullen regularly swept up any breaking ball near goal, but such was the middle eight dominance in the 23-point victory that the full-back line was hardly tested.
The return of McConnell allows the former captain Collie Moran to return to the comfort of wing back, with the debutant defender Kevin Nolan making way. Moran was prominent at corner back against Wexford.
Besides that, the team remains unchanged, Kevin Bonner holding off Bernard Brogan's claims for a straight return to wing forward after he pulled up with a hamstring tear against Westmeath.
This has been the policy of manager Paul Caffrey in 2008 as he also kept the veteran midfielder Ciarán Whelan in reserve for Eamonn Fennell earlier in the championship.
Whelan, of course, has since renewed a long-standing midfield partnership with the in-form Shane Ryan.
Brogan is expected to feature at some stage as an impact replacement.
Defender Paul Casey and forward Mark Vaughan are other valuable options held in reserve.
Dermot Connolly, a star player for St Vincent's en route to the All-Ireland club title, is also rewarded for some decent showings in the provincial championship with a place on the other wing.
Conal Keaney is named at full forward, but usually takes up a wide position, with either Bonner or Connolly moving closer to goal.
Eleven players who started the 2005 quarter-final replay defeat to Tyrone are named again. McConnell, Henry, Connolly and Bonner being the newcomers.
Harte will release a Tyrone team tonight.
There will be a limited number of tickets available from the Dublin County Board offices in Parnell Park today from 9.30am. They will be distributed on first-come-first-served basis.
Tickets are not available from Croke Park or on the Ticketmaster website.
