Team NewsJack O'Connor has made his most decisive move since he took over as Kerry manager for this season when he left Mike Frank Russell out of the starting line-up ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final against Derry.
The other big news emanating from the Kerry camp last night was that Colm Cooper has been passed fit to start.
Russell has been a shade below the levels expected from him this year, but is still Kerry's second highest scorer with 1-17 in five games.
The management finalised their side late last night with O'Connor reshuffling the forward lines by promoting Liam Hassett to wing forward and giving Eoin Brosnan a chance to lead the attack.
Declan O'Sullivan, who made his intercounty breakthrough last year at full forward, is switched to the corner slot previously held by Russell.
There were doubts lingering over Cooper's availability after after he damaged a hamstring against Dublin a fortnight ago. But he did some light training over the weekend and is deemed fit enough to start in the right-corner-forward berth.
O'Connor has already moved away from the selection policies of his predecessor Páidí Ó Sé this year by releasing Séamus Moynihan from full back, in turn handing the number three shirt to Mike McCarthy.
Moynihan is no longer taking any part in training and is considered a major doubt for the All-Ireland final on September 26th, were the Munster champions to progress.
After last year's semi-final capitulation against Tyrone, Kerry have also employed a more defensive style, especially in the half-forward line, this season with the flank forwards expected to regularly track back.
Paul Galvin fits comfortably into this mould and now Hassett will be expected to do likewise.
Paddy Kelly, a graduate of O'Connor's under-21 team, loses out in the race to partner Darragh Ó Sé in midfield with the fit again William Kirby getting the nod.
Little change is expected from the Derry side that overcame Westmeath with Paddy Bradley gradually regaining full fitness, after heal damage, while wing back Francis McEldowney took a full part in Monday's training session.
Meanwhile, Mayo manager John Maughan has expressed his concern at the six-day turnover between the All-Ireland semi-final and replay against Fermanagh, but not because of a lack of preparation available to the teams.
"The six days between the matches in unfortunate as all the players are amateur. They have to take more holidays or time-outs from their work and this is a problem," he said.
Maughan also said that the poor weather last week was irrelevant to the outcome and two major injury concerns, Ronan McGarrity and Conor Mortimer, were making good progress.
"The key now is recovery. The conditions last week were dreadful, but they had a bearing on both sides. Weather doesn't win games anyway."
The Tipperary under-21 hurlers, who play Down in the All-Ireland semi-finals on Saturday in Portlaoise, shows four changes from the team that beat Cork in the Munster final.
David Kennedy, Francis Devanney and Michael Farrell are all ruled out through injury and have been replaced by Darragh Walton, Wayne Cully and Shane McGrath. Up front, Tommy Fitzgerald comes in for Willie Ryan.
Kilkenny face Galway in the second semi-final, also in O'Moore Park, and will select tonight with Tommy Walsh, Richie Power, Conor Phelan and James "Cha" Fitzpatrick all expected to drop down from the senior panel.
The GAA has announced that tickets for next Saturday's senior football semi-final replay between Fermanagh and Mayo and Sunday's semi-final between Derry and Kerry will go on sale from the ticket office at the rear of the Cusack Stand in Croke Park from 11 a.m to 7 p.m. tomorrow and Friday.
There will be no concessionary tickets on general sale as these have been issued to the County Boards in the participating counties. Sunday's game will be preceded by the minor football semi-final between Kerry and Laois.
TIPPERARY (under-21 H v Down): P McCormack; A Morrissey, C O'Mahoney, H Moloney; D Walton, D Fitzgerald (capt), E Hanley; J Caesar, W Cully; S McGrath, S Sweeney, P Buckley; T Scroope, T Fitzgerald, E Sweeney.
