Dessie Farrell will definitely line out for Na Fianna in Sunday's Leinster club football semi-final replay rematch against Sarsfields.
The dangerous forward picked up an injury to an index finger in last Sunday's controversial replay, but team manager Mick Galvin said: "We are quietly confident of being able to field the same team with perhaps a maximum of one change from last Sunday.
"There are a couple of niggles and knocks, nothing serious, picked up last Sunday. Corner back Noel ╙ Murch· picked up a hamstring injury, Karl Donnelly our midfielder picked up a knee injury," added Galvin ahead of last night's training session at Belfield.
He said he will be in a better position to announce his team today.
Derry champions Ballinderry are not without certain apprehension ahead of their All-Ireland club quarter-final against London champions T∅r Chonaill Gaels in Ruislip on Sunday.
"I well remember Lavey having to play out of their skins to beat them," says Derry PRO Gerry Donnelly.
Ballinderry have made great strides under manager Brian McIvor, although the groundwork was laid by Damien Barton, who brought the team to the two previous Derry deciders.
Enda Muldoon, Niall McCusker, Conleth Gilligan and Adrian McGuckian (junior) power a Derry team that are expected to have something to spare over the exiles.
Jody Gormley, the former Tyrone midfielder, former Antrim forward Timmy Donnelly and Julian Grimes of Derry are the London champions' key men.
Both Leinster club finals are fixed for Sunday week. The Castletown v Birr hurling replay has been postponed to that date in Nowlan Park in Kilkenny, while the football decider, pending a decision on Sunday between Na Fianna and Sarsfields, will be fixed for Carlow (if Sarsfields v Rathnew) or in Newbridge (if Rathnew v Na Fianna).
Tommy Lyons, Dublin's new football manager, is not overly keen, it would seem, on media attention for every friendly in which he is involved.
He said yesterday morning he had taken four calls at work about tomorrow's friendly against Antrim, which he insists is simply a try-out between "two county development squads".
"I haven't picked a team. I have asked 25 players to turn up and we will take it from there," he adds.
Ideally, it appears, the Dublin boss would prefer these "experimental" matches to be played in camera, a policy with which no doubt many of his counterparts in other counties would concur.
Some managers would be only too happy to get on with preparations for the season ahead without microscopic analysis of what they are about. Such is the price to be paid, however, for being in the public eye.
Antrim boss Brian White welcomes the fixture. White has had a policy of a warm-up match per week over the past five weeks.
