NEWS ROUND-UP:CONNACHT CHAMPIONS Sligo name one debutant for Sunday's championship opener against London in Ruislip. Gary Gaughan is the only newcomer in the side that must begin their defence without captain Noel McGuire, who dislocated his elbow last month.
McGuire's place at full back goes to Pat Naughton, who featured well in the position marking Conal Keaney during a recent challenge against Dublin. As well as McGuire, Barry Kivlehan and Kevin Byrne weren't considered because of injury.
Sligo had a miserable National League campaign culminating in relegation to Division Four, which means that they won't be in a position to contest the All-Ireland qualifiers unless they again reach the provincial final.
"The league has been forgotten about," according to manager Tommy Jordan. "We're fully focused on the championship."
Opponents London name Eamonn Ó Cuiv, son of the Government minister of the same name, at centre back.
Ó Cuiv junior played under-21 for his home county Galway and featured on Sigerson Cup teams with UCD.
At the other end of the scale Paul Hehir is atypical of the exiles team in that he played as long ago as 1997 in the team that took Leitrim to extra-time.
Hehir's native county of Clare bring in two debutants for the home Munster football championship tie against Waterford on Sunday. Seán Collins and David Tubridy. Collins and corner back David Conole are two of the four panellists about to sit their Leaving Certificate.
Tipperary include six championship debutants in the side to play Limerick on Sunday in the Munster football championship: Aidan Foley, Ciarán McDonald, Paddy Codd, Brian Jones, Seán Carey and Séamus Grogan.
Only Paul Fitzgerald, Damien O'Brien and Barry Grogan survive from the team which started against Cork in last year's championship.
John Evans's team go into the match on a high after a good league campaign ended strongly with a final-day promotion after Waterford surprisingly defeated Antrim in Casement Park.
Westmeath hurlers have named Brendan Murtagh among the replacements for their Leinster championship match with Dublin. Murtagh, captain and top scorer, broke a bone in his hand and was ruled out of contention but it is now expected that he might play some part in the match.
Ahead of Sunday week's Munster hurling opener against Clare, Waterford's Ken McGrath has been ruled out after keyhole surgery for a knee injury picked up on the team's training week in Portugal.
McGrath has frequently had injury concerns going into the championship in the past few years but in this instance it's hard to see how he can recover from a procedure that usually takes three or four weeks.
He is, however, expected to be back in action for the semi-final against Limerick should the team get past Clare.
Meanwhile, there has still been no confirmation of a second venue for next autumn's proposed International Rules series in Australia. The GAA's Central Council gave the AFL until close of business today to come up with a second date and venue for the two-test series.
Cork and Galway hurlers will meet in a special charity challenge at Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday at 7pm.
St Michael's Church Restoration Fund and the famous GAA nursery Blackrock National Hurling Club will be benefiting from the proceeds.
SLIGO (SF v London): P Greene; C Harrison, P Naughton, R Donovan; P McGovern, M McNamara, J Davey; K Quinn, E O'Hara; B Curran, M Breheny, B Egan; G Gaughan, J McPartland, D Kelly.
LONDON (SF v Sligo): B McBrearty; R Morgan, C Beirne, G O'Hare; P Morgan, E Ó Cuiv, N Spain; K Waldron, G Kane; F Cleary, P Hehir, F McMahon; S Maguire, M Hughes, P McDermott.
WESTMEATH (SH v Dublin): M Briody; G Gavin, P Greville, A Price; D Curley, D McCormack, C Jordan; B Connaughton, E Loughlin; A Mitchell, L Smith, P Clarke; J Shaw, P Dowdall, D McNicholas.
DUBLIN (SH v Westmeath): G Maguire; N Corcoran, S Hiney, T Brady; M Carton, R Fallon, J Boland; S Lambert, J McCaffrey; J Burke, D Qualter, K Flynn; D O'Callaghan, J Kelly, P Carton.
CLARE (SF v Waterford): J Hayes; L Healy, C Whelan, D Conole; N Considine, G Kelly, J Hayes; G Brennan, G Quinlan; A Clohessy, S Collins, D Russell; D Tubridy, S Hickey, R Donnelly.
WATERFORD (SF v Clare): T Wall; J Walsh, J Seward, T O'Gorman; E Rockett, S Briggs, M O'Gorman; G Hurney, M Ahern; A Hubbard, L Lawlor, P Hurney; B Wall, L O Lionáin, C Power.
TIPPERARY (SF v Limerick): P Fitzgerald; A Foley, M Peters, C McDonald; P Codd, R Costigan, N Curran; K Mulryan, E Hanrahan; P Johnson, B Jones, D O'Brien; S Carey, S Grogan, B Grogan.
