Meath opt to leave Geraghty in reserve

Championship 2007: Graham Geraghty, the 1999 All-Ireland-winning captain and Fine Gael candidate for next week's general election, has been named among the replacements for Meath's opening Leinster football championship match against Kildare in Croke Park this Sunday.

The side includes one championship debutant, the right corner back Eoin Harrington, who will play alongside Darren Fay as the veteran full back returns to championship action after opting out last year.

Louth's JP Rooney has been ruled out of Sunday's double-header at GAA headquarters with a shoulder problem. Their opponents, Wicklow, select a team tonight.

The Clare manager, Páidí Ó Sé, has selected nine players who will be making their championship bow against Waterford in Dungarvan on Sunday. They include the current minor captain David Connole, while half back John Hayes and midfielder Gary Brennan have been promoted from the under-21s.

Full back Conor Whelan has recovered from injury but Michael O'Shea, Niall Considine, Michael O'Dwyer and Darragh Kelly are unavailable.

Waterford's debutants are defenders Justin Walsh and Tomás O'Gorman for a game that has serious consequences for the losers. The defeated team will go straight into the Tommy Murphy Cup and therefore miss the first-round qualifiers. The winners meet Kerry in the Munster semi-final on June 3rd.

Midfielder John Galvin has recovered from a hamstring injury to take his place for Limerick in the opening round of their Munster football championship game against the holders, Cork, at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, on Sunday. Galvin sustained his injury five weeks ago and had been rated a doubtful starter.

Manager Mickey Ned O'Sullivan introduces three players new to championship fare, Diarmuid Carroll, Pat Ranahan and Thomas Cahill. Jason Stokes, who was ever present for the last five years but missed out on the county's league campaign, was again not considered because of injury.

Cavan football manager Donal Keoghan has made four changes in personnel for the Ulster preliminary-round replay against Down in Newry on Sunday. Jonathan Crowe and Ciaran Galligan come in for their first championship starts in place of Paul Brady and Lorcan Mulvey while in the half-forwrd line Micheál Lyng and Sean Brady are preferred to Seanie Johnston and Ray Cullivan.

Derry forward Paddy Bradley has decided not to pursue the appeal process against a 12-week suspension for interfering with a referee in a club fixture. Bradley's ban has already been upheld by the Derry County Board and Ulster Council.

Galway corner forward Sean Armstrong looks set to miss Sunday's Connacht semi-final against Mayo at Pearse Stadium because of a hamstring injury.

Galway manager Peter Ford is due to name his side following training at Pearse Stadium this evening but that could depend on how Diarmuid Blake and Nicky Joyce respond to injury concerns.

It has been confirmed that Kieran Fitzgerald will captain Galway this season. The Athlone-based garda has been nominated for the post by the county champions, Corofin.

The Laois manager, Liam Kearns, has recalled Donie Brennan to the senior football panel after the youngster was sensationally dropped earlier this year.

Brennan has been rewarded for a successful under-21 campaign; he led his county to the All-Ireland final. He has been joined by full back Mark Timmons in the call-up while team captain Cahir Healy has also been offered a place on the panel. However, the Portlaoise man may yet commit to the senior hurling panel instead.

MEATH(SF v Kildare): B Murphy; E Harrington, D Fay, N McKeigue; C King, A Moyles, S Kenny; M Ward, N Crawford; N McLoughlin, K Reilly, P Byrne; S Bray, B Farrell, J Sheridan.

LOUTH(SF v Wicklow): S Reynolds; D Brennan, C Goss, A Page; R Finnegan, P McGinnity (capt), J Carr; P Keenan, R Carroll; C Grimes, M Brennan, J O'Brien; A Hoey, S Lennon, D Clarke.

CAVAN(SF v Down): J Reilly; M Hannon, E Reilly, M Cahill; J Crowe, A Forde, R Flanagan; D McCabe, C Galligan; L Reilly, M Lyng, S Brady; G Pierson, M McKeever, J O'Reilly.

WATERFORD(SF v Clare): T Wall; J Walsh, T O'Gorman, S Briggs; J Phelan, E Rockett, P Ogle; M Ahern, Hurney; D Wall, G Hurney, G Power; L O'Linnane, A Hubbord, W Hennessy.

CLARE(SF v Waterford): Joe Hayes; L Healy, C Whelan, G Kelly; John Hayes, D Russell, G Lyons; F O'Dea, G Brennan; D Connole, E Coughlan, M Murphy; E Talty, S Hickey, R Donnelly.

LIMERICK(SF v Cork): S Kiely; D Carroll, J McCarthy, S Gallagher; P Ahern, P Brown, P Ranahan; T Carroll, J Galvin; S Lavin, J Ryan, T Cahill; J Cooke, S Buckley, M Reidy.