While Derry await news from various sources, Offaly have made a surprise selection at full back for the National Football League final at Croke Park on Sunday.

John Ryan comes in at full back in place of Barry Malone. These are busy times for Ryan who has filled the full forward position on the Offaly hurling team in this season's league campaign.

Peter Brady, who is still suffering from the back problem which forced him to miss the semi-final against Donegal, has been named at left corner forward but will undergo a fitness test on Saturday before he can take his place. Mark Daly, who replaced Brady against Donegal, drops down to the substitutes' bench.

Malone's demotion follows a roasting at the hands of Tony Boyle in the semi-final when the Donegal full forward was at his brilliant best. Ryan thus becomes the third player Offaly have tried in their problem position of full back in the last year - Larry Carroll played there in last year's championship.

Derry will postpone their selection of a team pending a decision on the fate of Johnny McBride who was sent off in the semi-final against Monaghan. But it became clear yesterday that he would be cleared to play following the referee's report of his sending-off which, apparently, said that he had been dismissed for two "questionable" fouls. The Derry County Board secretary Patsy Mulholland was guarded yesterday about his county's chances in the match. "We can never be sure of anything. We know only too well that things can go wrong even when things seem to be on our side. We respect Offaly, who have come from the fourth division and they are also Leinster champions.

"It would be very foolish of us to believe that, because of their position in the fourth division not long ago that they can be pushed aside all that easily. Derry are strong and determined as we showed against Monaghan but Offaly are a different side and we will have to adopt a different approach."

The Offaly manager, Tommy Lyons, said: "We will play our normal game. There is no point in changing what we have been doing up until now. We are well aware of Derry's strength and their class. They have several players who have All-Ireland medals and they have introduced several other new players who have been successful at minor and under-21 level.

"We would be foolish to assume that they can be pushed aside easily and I know that they will treat us with respect.