There has been mixed news for Na Fianna in the overnight team selections. Dublin manager Tom Carr has responded to the club's plea to rest their players, but Armagh have named Kieran McGeeney at centre back.
The Dublin champions had made the request a week ahead of the Leinster club final against Sarsfields of Kildare. Primary amongst the players concerned is Dessie Farrell, who is struggling with an Achilles tendon problem, but neither defender Tomo Lynch nor Jason Sherlock were considered.
The only change made to the Dublin team after the big win over Armagh two Sundays ago is the call-up of Paul Croft as left half forward. Croft's name had been made at senior level playing as a wing back, in which position he was a first choice for the county until he picked up a three-month suspension in the regulation NFL match against Cork in Pairc Ui Rinn.
He came on as a replacement for Enda Crennan against Armagh and scored a point. Crennan wasn't considered for this weekend because of injury and Croft is the beneficiary.
For the match against Galway, Armagh welcome back the Crossmaglen contingent after the club's successful defence of their Ulster title last weekend. John McEntee comes in at wing forward for Diarmuid Marsden, whose groin injury has ruled him out, and Oisin McConville replaces James Byrne at left corner forward.
Galway have named an unchanged team for the journey. Declan Meehan is again listed at wing back, a position some in the county believe to be his best and from where he scored two points in the win over Donegal last time out.
The county panel has been boosted by the news that 1998 Footballer of the Year Jarlath Fallon has returned to training along with All-Ireland captain Ray Silke.
Roscommon have named the same team which defeated Cork at Hyde Park for the trip to Dungannon to take on Tyrone. With the Connacht club replay tomorrow, Roscommon manager Gay Sheerin has omitted the Roscommon Gaels players Clifford McDonald and Fergal O'Donnell, who will face Crossmolina. They are listed in the substitutes.
Derry have made a couple of changes to their side for Sunday's match against Clare. Principal amongst these is the reversion of Henry Downey from centre forward to his more familiar posting at centre back. Sean Lockhart is being given time to recover from injury and his place at full back is left vacant.
Former Waterford player Gavin Keane returns to the Kildare team for the tie against Mayo. The Leixlip club man last played for Kildare in a league game almost two years ago and is named at full forward. Tadhg Fennin moves to the corner instead of Mark Millham.
Ronan Sweeney, who came on as a substitute in the last game against Derry, starts at centrefield alongside Pat Winders. None of the Sarsfield players were considered because of the impending Leinster club final against Na Fianna. Also ruled out were Cathal Sheridan and Anthony Rainbow, both of whom sustained injuries in the opening game against Down.
Offaly, topping the Division Two A table with full points from their two games, make four changes for the visit of Antrim to O'Connor Park on Sunday. Enda Egan and John Greene, both of whom came on as substitutes against Wicklow, retain their places and will be starting their first senior competitive game.
Another newcomer is Karl Slattery from Gracefield, while Pascal Kellaghan returns to the side at right full forward.
Meanwhile, Laois champions Castletown will be hoping for improved fortune when they play Birr in the provincial hurling final in Kilkenny. Two years ago when the teams met, Castletown didn't score in the second half as Birr went on to an comfortable victory en route to a second All-Ireland.
Wing back John O'Sullivan believes that the effort two years ago was compromised by the two semi-final matches against Wexford champions Oulart. "They were two good games and they represented peaks for Castle town. I'm not sure we played as well before or since. They also took a lot out of us for that final. We started it particularly well in the first half but inexperience told against us and we tired in the second half. Sunday will find out if we've improved because the two teams are nearly identical."
The Dublin branch of the Roscommon GAA supporters' club will be running a bus to Dungannon on Sunday for the NFL match against Tyrone. Departure will be from the Ormond Hotel at 10.00 a.m. and the bus will be back in Dublin by 9.00 p.m. that night. The fare is £10.
DUBLIN (SF v Kerry): D Byrne; M Cahill, P Christie, D Conlon; P Curran, P Andrews, S Ryan; C Whelan, J McGee; P Croft, C Moran, E Sheehy; J Gavin, D Darcy, M O'Keeffe.
ROSCOMMON (SF v Tyrone): D Thompson; D Gavin, J Whyte, R Owens; D Donlon, B Bourke, B Mannion; J Gilhooly, D Casserly; C Conneely, D Duggan, S Casey; N Dineen, S Lohan, F Dolan. Subs: E Daly, B Butler, D Thompson, E Lohan, G Lohan, G Cox, C McDonald, F O'Donnell, M Ryan.
GALWAY (SF v Armagh): P Lally; T Meehan, C Donlon, R Fahey; D Meehan, J Divilly, E Daly; S O Domhnaill, J Bergin; P Clancy, K Comer, L O Callarain; J Donnellan, P Joyce, N Finnegan.
KILDARE (v Mayo): E Murphy; B Lacey, R Quinn, D Maher; D Hughes, G Ryan, M Wright; R Sweeney, P Winders, C Reilly; K O'Dwyer, J Doyle; T Rossiter, G Keane, T Fennin.
OFFALY (SF v Antrim) - K Furlong; C Daly, E Egan, J Brady; J Kilmurray, S Grennan, F Cullen; J Grennan, R Mooney; C Quinn, J Greene, K Slattery; P Kellaghan, M Keenaghan and D Connolly.
ARMAGH (SF v Galway): B Tierney; E McNulty, G Reid, M McNeill; K Hughes, K McGeeney, A McCann; P McGrane, J McNulty; M McRory, C O'Rourke, J McEntee; S McDonnell, P McKeever, O McConville.
DERRY (v Clare): O McCloskey; K McKeever, AN Other, R Lynch; P McFlynn, H Downey, G Coleman; D Heaney, M McIvor; B Gillis, D Dougan, J McBride; S McLarnon, R Rocks, G Cassidy.
