Eamon Coleman has named a revamped Derry side as he prepares to travel to Mayo to oversee the team's first competitive outing since he returned recently to manage his native county. Enda Gormley, who was coaxed out of retirement last year, starts at corner forward and Dungiven attacker Geoffrey McGonigle, who turned last year's Ulster final, has also been selected.
Coleman's team plans have been curtailed by the absence of several key players through club championship duty.
Donegal manager Declan Bonner has been forced to delay naming his team to face Armagh in Ballybofey this Sunday as his squad has become severely depleted by injuries. The latest addition to a growing casualty list is Mark Crossan, who sprained a knee during a challenge match against Mayo last Sunday. While pivotal forwards Tony Boyle, John Duffy and defender Barry McGowan are highly unlikely to return before the New Year, four other first-choice players have also been stricken with short-term ailments, leaving Bonner struggling to manufacture a satisfactory defence.
John Joe Doherty has an ankle injury. and a doubt also hangs over midfielder Jim McGuinness, who has back trouble. The holidaying Joe Kavanagh is absent from an otherwise familiar-looking Cork team, which takes on Offaly. The National League champions have delayed naming their side until tonight.
Nemo Rangers pair Martin Cronin and Stephen O'Brien will both play for Cork despite being involved in club hurling on Saturday. Cornerback Ronan McCarthy also has club duty with UCC while forward Alan O'Regan is due to play with CIT. Full back Mark O'Connor is out with a troublesome leg injury.
Cork (SF v Offaly): M Maguire; O Sexton, R McCarthy, A Lynch; M Cronin, S O'Brien, P O'Regan; N Murphy, C O'Sullivan; P O'Mahony, F Collins, D Davis; P Clifford, C Crowley, A O'Regan. Subs: K O'Dwyer, D McAuley, M O'Donovan (Doheny's), M O'Donovan, B Walsh, B O'Sullivan, M O'Sullivan, F Murray, JP O'Neill.
Derry (SF v Mayo): O McCloskey; S Donnelly, J McBride, E McKeever; P McFlynn, G Coleman S McGuckian; A Tohill, G Doyle; P Murphy, B McCormick, D Doyle; G McGonigle, R Rocks, E Gormley.
