National Football League champions Offaly have named a strong team to face Cork in Tullamore on Sunday, but Roy and Barry Malone are consigned to the bench due to club commitments. Both men play for Rhode in the Leinster club championship on Saturday and manager Tommy Lyons is reluctant to risk the possibility of late injuries disrupting his team choice. Bracknagh forward Frank Weir makes his debut for the county at full forward.
Down midfielder Greg McCartan will have a new partner on Sunday when the Ulster team travel to Newbridge to face Kildare. Mayobridge's Eoghan Woods is one of three newcomers introduced to the side as Pete McGrath attempts to rebuild around the nucleus of the panel which contested last summer's championship. Paul McShane from the Clonduff club and Castlewellan's Dean Anderson also make their competitive debuts at senior level.
James McCartan has yet to rejoin the panel.
Two of Kerry's Tralee-based players, Pa Laide and William Kirby, have been listed as substitutes for the game against Roscommon while Maurice Fitzgerald is out through injury. Waterville's Denis O'Dwyer is listed at corner forward.
Meath are missing Enda McManus and Tommy Dowd for Saturday's league opener against Clare, as well as midfielder John McDermott, who is still on honeymoon. With Trevor Giles still out, Sean Boylan has shuffled his lines a little, switching Graham Geraghty back to centre half back and bringing Barry Callaghan to centre half forward.
Hank Traynor and Donal Curtis swap the positions they held in the Leinster final, with Traynor retreating to corner back and Curtis moving up to the wing. Niall Crawford from county champions St Peter's, Dunboyne makes his debut at wing forward.
The Clare selectors are leaving a midfield slot vacant until Saturday morning in the hope that their midfielder Donal O'Sullivan recovers from a knee injury he picked up against Westmeath in a challenge match. The only newcomer to the team is Kilmurray forward Johnny Daly, who has impressed in the Limerick and Munster club championship while playing for University of Limerick.
Mayo football receives a boost with the return of Pat Fallon. The Balla man has been named at midfield in the team to face Derry. Cavan veteran Bernard Morris will line out in midfield against Sligo in Markievicz Park on Sunday. Liam Austin has used the defender in a more central role for a number of challenge games and found that he links well with Pierse McKenna.
The switch means that Dermot McCabe moves to centre half forward, alongside the long-serving Ronan Carolan.
Sligo make four changes to the team beaten in the championship by Roscommon. Peter Walsh replaces regular goalkeeper Pat Kilcoyne, who is out until the New Year with a back injury. David Durkin comes in at right half back instead of Neil Carew, while Trevor McGuinn makes his debut at left half back.
Eamon Cawley, from St Farnan's, starts at left corner forward.
Colm Browne has named Derry Foley at centre half forward for Tipperary's game against Fermanagh.
