DAVY DALTON, Johnny McDonald and Torn Harris are all back in the Kildare team for Sunday's Leinster football championship match against Laois at Croke Park.
In all, there are five changes in personnel from the team which was beaten by Cork in the National League semi final.
The return of Dalton, from the Kilcock club, was expected after he had been recalled to the panel following a lengthy break from intercounty action. He had retired following a National League match against Laois in 1996.
McDonald was dropped from the side for what were described as disciplinary reasons before the defeat by Cork, and Harris was also regarded as having come to the end of his intercountry career.
The other two changes from Kildare's last league match feature the return of Ronan Quinn for John Finn at full back and the selection of Willie McCreery for John Whelan at midfield. McCreery has not played since the corresponding Leinster championship match last year.
Dalton is at right corner back, instead of Martin Ryan, while Me Donald replaces Paul McCormack in the left corner of the attack. A familiar name among the substitutes is Dermot Earley, a son of the great Dermot Earley of Roscommon.
The Laois team is more or less as expected. The battle between the Laois full forward line of Tom Bowe, Hugh Emerson and Leo Turley against the Kildare full back line of Dallon, Quinn and Seamus Dowling should be an interesting feature of the clash.
Offaly have recalled Larry Carroll to the full back position after injury for the replay of their Leinster championship match against Westmeath on Saturday evening in Mullingar. He replaces Kevin Guing. The only other change from the drawn match features the selection of David Reynolds at left half forward instead of Anthony Kelly.
Westmeath have again delayed their selection pending fitness reports on three of the players who missed the drawn match. They are Dermot Brady, one of their corner backs, and the two corner forwards, Kenny Lyons and Mark Treanor. The team will be announced this evening.
Cavan have named a full strength team for Sunday's Ulster championship clash with Fermanagh in Clones, which means that long serving Ronan Carolan is not in the side. He is included among the substitutes.
Fears about the fitness of Stephen King and Dermot McCabe were dispelled at training last night, and King will fill his normal position at midfield with McCabe on the right wing of the attack. Carolan lost his place in the team during the league campaign but is almost certain to make an appearance some time during the game.
Meanwhile, Dublin's Paul Curran says he is feeling fit after a full training session, including sprints and a 40 minute match on Tuesday evening. If he does not have any reaction within the next couple of days and manages to come through the rest of the training schedule, he is confident of playing against Meath on Sunday week.
"Defender Paddy Moran is almost certainly out", according to team manager Mickey Whelan but Paul Clarke is likely to be available.
Derry have a list of injuries as long as your arm", according to selector Frank Kearney, and will not name a team until tonight, at the earliest, for their replay - against Monaghan at Celtic Park on Sunday. Training has been curtailed this week because of the number of injuries, and a number of their All Ireland under 21 winning side may get a senior baptism.
Corner back Emmett McKeever is very doubtful, according to Kearney, while others on the list include Anthony Tohill, Dermot Heaney, Fergal McCusker and Gary Coleman, all of whom played on Sunday. Sean Martin Lockhart is still out of action after an earlier injury and Brian McCormack is suspended after being sent off on Sunday.
Tohill's fitness is causing concern because of a knee injury sustained on Sunday, Heaney has a shoulder injury, Fergal McCusker has a leg injury and Gary Coleman is still not fit after a layoff through injury.
Among those standing by are Seamus Downey, Gary McGill, Adrian McGuckin and Enda Muldoon.
Monaghan are still awaiting news about the fitness of three of their players. Under treatment are corner hack Noel Marron, who scored their second goal last Sunday, while Peter Duffy, the scorer of the other goal, has a slight hamstring problem.
The selectors are also awaiting a report on Declan Smyth, who missed the drawn match after having a steel pin inserted in a broken finger. He was in Dublin yesterday for a consultation with a specialist.
Tyrone are concerned about the availability of Pascal Canavan for their Ulster championship semifinal clash with Armagh on Sunday week. He injured a finger during a club match at the weekend and will have an Xray today to assess the damage.
He may be able to play with the hand strapped up, but yesterday he said the finger was still badly swollen and painful. "I don't think I have a very good chance," he said.
His teammate Adrian Cush completed a notable hat trick yesterday when he was chosen for the Ulster GAA Writers' Merit award for the third time for his performances against Down during the month of May. He scored the equalising point in the drawn match and ran up a total of six points in the replay.
Tipperary midfielder Derry Foley is very doubtful for their Munster football semifinal with Kerry in Tralee on June 29th. He was unable to play in the second half of a recent club game after what appeared to be a serious ankle injury. His clubmate, Declan Browne, also has a leg injury.
