Derry manager Brian Mullins has named only one championship newcomer in the side to meet Monaghan in the Ulster championship in Celtic Park on Sunday. He is Paul Diamond, from the Bellaghy club, who became a regular in the side during the National League. He has been selected at left corner back.
Meanwhile, Monaghan have called up Gerald McGuirk and Seamus Mullen to replace the injured duo Padraig McShane and Joe Coyle.
Derry have strengthened their side following the defeat by Offaly in the league final. Back into the side come Dermot Heaney at midfield, Eamonn Burns at left half forward, and Seamus Downey at full forward.
Missing from the side are regulars Gary Coleman and Fergal McCusker both of whom have leg injuries. The selectors will not decide on their list of substitutes until later in the week.
Johnny McGurk, another veteran from their All-Ireland win in 1993, has been selected at right half back while Heaney teams up with Anthony Tohill in a powerful midfield.
Whether Monaghan will suffer from the loss of McShane and Coyle remains to be seen. Certainly midfielder McShane will be missed although his replacement, Gerald McGuirk, is a competent deputy while Seamus Mullen will come in for Coyle at centre back.
Dermot McDermott will pay at full back while Damien Freeman will be making his championship debut at right half forward.
The London manager, Pat Griffin, a native of Kerry, has delayed his team selection for his team's Connacht championship match against Sligo in Ruislip until tomorrow night in the hope that he will be able to include Aidan O'Halloran and Tommy Maguire, both of whom are nursing injuries.
O'Halloran, who plays at midfield and is a native of Meath, has a slight thigh strain and is expected to respond well to treatment. But there is some concern about Tommy Maguire, the captain and full forward, a native of Fermanagh, who has a hamstring problem. Another Fermanagh man, Barry McDonagh, will figure at centre half back with Tommy Murphy from Carlow expected to play in the attack. Others expected to line out are Seamus O'Brien and Mick Galvin both from Kerry and Paul Coggins from Roscommon.
London had a grim league campaign during which they failed to win a single point. A recent McGrath Cup match against Cork also ended in a heavy beating - 2-20 to 0-8.
Sligo's Paul Taylor, whose brother Bobby was drowned in a triple accident at the beach in Strandhill last Sunday week, has returned to training and is included in the Sligo team, as is his cousin Ken Killeen, for the match against London.
The drowning tragedy cut right to the heart of Sligo football as two of the youngsters who drowned, Bobby Taylor and his friend Tommy Coyle, had played for the Sligo minor football team. All three victims and one who was rescued were natives of Gurteen which is very much involved in Sligo football.
Sligo will travel to London on Saturday. A win would earn Sligo a Connacht semi-final date with Roscommon in Dr Hyde Park. In hurling, Tipperary are facing an injury crisis as they prepare for their Munster championship semi-final against Waterford in 10 days' time. Conor Gleeson, last year's captain, is out of action after sustaining a thigh injury in a club game and is considered extremely doubtful for the game.
Paul Kelly's availability is also in serious doubt. He damaged his shoulder in training and missed his club Mullinahone's game at the weekend. Defender Colm Bonnar is to have a plaster removed from his hand this week and it is hoped that he will be able to fully take part in training at the weekend.
Line-Outs
Derry (SF v Monaghan): E McCloskey; K McKeever, S M Lockhart, P Diamond; J McGurk, H Downey, P McFlynn; A Tohill, D Heaney; G Magill, D Dougan, E Burns; J Brolly, S Downey, J Cassidy.
Monaghan (SF v Derry): J O'Connor; E Murphy, D McDermott, N Marron; D Duffy, S Mullen, J Conlon; G McGuirk, R Ronaghan; D Freeman, M Daly, K Hughes; D Smith, D McKiernan, P Duffy. Subs: G Murphy, D Swift, M Slowey, C McAree, D McArdle, N Magennis, P McDonald, F Duffy, D McKenna.
