Gaelic Games: Michael Donnellan is back in the Galway starting line-up for their All-Ireland football quarter-final against Donegal, the first of Monday's double bill at Croke Park.
Originally selected to start against Mayo in the Connacht final, Donnellan moved to the bench just before the throw-in, although he did appear as a substitute later in the game, replacing Ja Fallon.
His reintroduction for Monday, replacing Fallon from the start at left-half forward, is one of two changes from the team that beat Mayo in the Connacht decider on July 6th. Michael Meehan also gets a starting place in the full-forward line, with Nicholas Joyce dropping to the bench.
Meehan was also due to start against Mayo the last day, but manager John O'Mahony reorganised his side by moving Richie Fahey to centre back, and calling Michael Comer into the full-back line. That defensive line-up remains unchanged, so Donnellan's brief spell at centre back appears over.
Several players had been carrying minor injuries over the past week, and while Seán De Paor has been named at wing back, he will undergo a fitness test before Monday in the leg injury that has partially curtailed his training this week.
O'Mahony has expressed his concerns about the long break since the Connacht final, but was happy with the mood at training last night: "I suppose we won't really know how well they are going until Monday," he said. "We will have another meeting on Friday and hope to wind things up a bit more from there, but we know it's going to be a very difficult game for us."
Monday's game will also mark the third successive year Galway will have contested the All-Ireland quarter-finals - with so far contrasting fortunes. When they came through the qualifier route in 2001 they beat Roscommon at this stage, and went on to collect the All-Ireland, whereas last year they came in straight from the Connacht final, and ended up losing badly to Kerry.
Donegal will announce their team this evening, and manager Brian McEniff has more than his fair share of injury problems to contend with it. The main concern is over corner forward Brendan Devenney, who scored 0-4 against Down last Saturday before coming off because of an injury. Devenney's problem turned out to be a recurrence of a knee injury.
The other concern surrounds defender Damien Diver, who missed the Down game last weekend because of a slight bone fracture in his hand. While the hand remains in plaster there is still hope Diver can play some part on Sunday if necessary.
Armagh manager Joe Kernan, meanwhile, has settled on his team for Sunday's quarter-final against Laois, but only after some lengthy deliberation late into Tuesday night. His line-up shows no changes from that which started against Limerick in their fourth round qualifier.
With a fully fit panel to choose from, the main dilemma was what to do with Paddy McKeever - who had been suspended for the Limerick game after receiving a straight red card on July 5th against Dublin. And while that suspension ends at midnight tomorrow, it was decided nonetheless to keep McKeever in reserve, and leave the attack unaltered.
There was, however, one notable positional switch during the Limerick game, with Andrew McCann moving into full back, and Enda McNulty into the half-back line. But they revert to their more familiar positions for Sunday, with McNulty named at full back, and McCann at left-half back.
Opponents Laois will name their team after a final training session tomorrow evening, with their under-21 forward Barry Brennan (calf muscle complaint) the only injury concern.
While Sunday's game marks the first senior championship meeting between the sides, they did meet earlier this year in the league semi-final. Laois won out by three points.
GALWAY (SF v Donegal): B Donohoe; K Fitzgerald, G Fahey, M Comer; D Meehan, R Fahey, S De Paor; K Walsh, J Bergin; P Clancy, M Clancy, M Donnellan; D Savage, P Joyce, M Meehan.
ARMAGH (SF v Laois): P Hearty; A Mallon, E McNulty, F Bellew; A O'Rourke, K McGeeney, A McCann; P Loughran, P McGrane; R Clarke, J McEntee, O McConville; S McDonnell, D Marsden, T McEntee.
