Blake returns as Donegal make two enforced changes

Donegal make two enforced changes for their Church & General National Football League Division 1A encounter with Cork at Ballybofey on Sunday and have also left a vacancy in attack. Damien Diver, who is injured, and Brian Roper, who is on holidays, are replaced by Mark Crossan and Brian McLaughlin at corner-back and wing-forward respectively.

In all, manager Declan Bonner has made three changes from the team that lost narrowly to All-Ireland champions Galway two Sundays ago with Tony Blake returning as goalkeeper in place of Paul O'Callaghan. A vacancy has been left at right-corner forward in the hope that John Gildea will be available, while Barry Ward moves from half-forward into full-forward in a positional switch. Ward started out at wing-forward against Galway but fell back to midfield during the game to bolster that area.

Offaly manager Tommy Lyons has an injury doubt hanging over influential centre-half forward Sean Grennan in advance of the league meeting with Dublin at Tullamore.

Grennan is nursing a foot injury while Padraig Moran, who made an appearance as substitute in the drawn match with Tyrone, is troubled with a calf strain. Nevertheless, the defending champions expect to name their team after training tonight.

Dublin, meanwhile, will not finalise their team until tomorrow night. Paul Croft is ruled out due to suspension - he was sent-off in the drawn game with Armagh, which leaves the way clear for Paul Curran to return to the side - while Kilmacud Crokes duo Ray Cosgrove and Mick O'Keeffe are expected to be rested in advance of the Leinster club final on Sunday week when they are scheduled to meet Eire Og at Newbridge. But Declan Darcy, who didn't start the match against Armagh, is recovered from injury and available for selection.

All-Ireland finalists Kildare are due to name their side tonight for the home game with Mayo. Apart from John Finn, who has been struggling to overcome a muscle strain sustained almost a month ago, manager Mick O'Dwyer has an otherwise injury-free squad.

But his Mayo counterpart John Maughan looks certain to be without the Ballina Stephenites contingent of Liam McHale and the Brady brothers, David (who is actually suffering from a cracked bone in his foot) and Gerard, following a request from the club to rest the players in advance of their provincial semi-final on Sunday week with Sligo's Eastern Harps. Meanwhile, in a week in which they have had little to cheer, Fermanagh have been boosted by the availability of Paul Brewster and Tommy Gallagher. Both players' missed the All-Ireland B final defeat to Monaghan last Sunday when Raymond Johnson and Ciaran Gallagher were dismissed which means they won't be available to play against their championship conquerors of this year Cavan.

Kilkenny's new hurling manager, Brian Cody, has appointed former All Star Ger Henderson (Fenians) and Johnny Walsh (Shamrocks-Ballyhale) as his co-selectors for their two-year period in charge. The appointments take effect immediately, while another former player, Richie Power, has been appointed to take charge of the county's under-21 team.

The inclusion of Richie Kealy is the only change to the Meath team that beat Monaghan two weeks ago, the Dunshaughlin man coming in for the injured Barry Callghan.

Donegal (SF v Cork): T Blake; M Crossan, R Sweeney, E Reddin; N McCready, N Hegarty, N McGinley; J Ruane, J McGuinness; M Hegarty, A Sweeney, B Laughlin; AN Other, B Ward, B Devenney.