Four replacements have been named for this month's Vodafone All Star tour of Dubai. Armagh goalkeeper Paul Hearty and wing back Aaron Kernan replace Kerry's Diarmuid Murphy and Marc Ó Sé, while Cork's Graham Canty and Laois forward Ross Munnelly are travelling instead of Tyrone's Philip Jordan and injured Armagh full forward Ronan Clarke.
Clarke is struggling to be fit for this summer's championship after sustaining a serious knee injury.
The touring party will be finalised early next week. Paul Galvin is the only Kerry All Star yet to confirm his availability, and it is expected that a few more replacements will be selected.
The players, managers - Jack O'Connor and Mickey Harte - and GAA officials fly to Dubai on January 23rd for the exhibition game between the 2005 and 2006 selections, which will be held at the Polo Grounds on January 27th.
The visit by the All Stars is the highlight of the annual Gulf Gaelic Games Tournament which takes place in Dubai on January 26th and 27th.
Meanwhile, the GAA's new player welfare officer, Pauric Duffy, has confirmed that a meeting with the Gaelic Players' Association (GPA) to continue discussions on formally recognising the player's body will take place before departure to Dubai. Nickey Brennan, Liam Mulvihill and Con Hogan are part of the GAA negotiating team.
The groups last met on November 21st and the GAA have already stated the issue will be addressed before the end of Brennan's presidency. They intend to announce some form of further recognition of the GPA sooner than that, but refuse to put a deadline on the issue.
This Saturday's management meeting in Croke Park will overhaul the match regulations passed at Central Council after the GAA ceded to intercounty managers objections this week.
Limerick hurling boss Richie Bennis has handed starting places to newcomers Hugh Flavin and Wayne McNamara as they start the defence of their Waterford Crystal Hurling title against neighbours Limerick IT at Kilmallock on Sunday.
McNamara fits in alongside the experienced Stephen Lucey in the last line of defence, while Flavin plays at wing forward.
Willie Walsh, in and out of the senior team since winning a hat-trick of Munster and All-Ireland Under-21 medals, has also been favoured, and dual player Mark O'Riordan takes the number-10 shirt.
Bennis has opted for a mainly experimental team with goalkeeper Brian Murray, Lucey, Brian Geary, Donal O'Grady and Andrew O'Shaughnessy, the most seasoned members.
Meanwhile, the Limerick senior footballers show four changes in personnel from the team which mastered Tralee IT for their McGrath Cup quarter-final meeting with Tipperary.
Captain Padraig Browne is unavailable because of college examinations, with Dave McAuley, Ger Collins and Sean Kiely dropping down to the reserves. Replacing them are Mike Jones, Jason O'Brien, Shane Gallagher and Andrew Lane.
New Down manager Ross Carr hasn't included any of the team that started last year's qualifier defeat to Sligo for Sunday's McKenna Cup tie against UUJ
LOUTH (SF v Laois):S Connor; A Page, D Finnegan, J Carr; J O'Brien, P McGinnity, R Finnegan; R Carroll, C Kearney; C Grimes, M Brennan, M Stanfield; H McGinn, N McDonnell, D Clarke.
DOWN (SF v UUJ):B Connell; A Burns, A Carville, M Cole; D Cunningham, B Doran, K Gracey; C Gribben, E Henry; S Kearney, B Loughran, J Lynch; P Matthews, R McArdle, M McClean
LIMERICK (SH v Limerick IT):B Murray; E Foley, S Lucey, W McNamara; W Walsh, B Geary, P O'Dwyer; M O'Riordan, D. O'Grady; J O'Brien, M O'Brien, H Flavin; A O'Shaughnessy, S O'Connor, P Tobin.
LIMERICK (SF v Tipperary):M Jones; D Carroll, J McCarthy, S Gallagher; P Ahern, T Cahill, A Lane; T Carroll, J Galvin; S Kelly, D Horan, J Cooke; M Crowley, J Stokes, J O'Brien.
