DUBLIN football selectors will have raised a few eyebrows with the team to play Louth in Division Two at Dundalk on Sunday. John O'Leary has again been named as captain of the team for another year and Joe McNally makes his first competitive appearance for the county in nearly five years.

Manager Mickey Whelan had said in November that he would be reviewing the captaincy in the new year, but evidently, it has been decided that O'Leary who has led Dublin to three Leinster titles, an All Ireland and a National League in three years should retain the position.

Few will quibble with the choice of O'Leary, but many will be somewhat baffled as to why his position was effectively undermined for the duration of the winter break if the intention was to confirm him as captain for the remainder of the year. If the captaincy was genuinely under review, it might have been wiser to come to a conclusion before publicising it.

McNally was a surprise choice even with nearly 40 county players on holiday in California for the O'Byrne Cup match against Carlow and had a fairly nondescript match, although his mother, who subsequently passed away, was very ill at the time.

Otherwise, eight players who were in San Diego on the All Ireland champions' holiday are named in the team. Players returned from the US at the weekend and training resumed on Tuesday.

Of the attack which won the All Ireland, only Dessie Farrell features on Sunday and he is moved from the half forward line to the right corner a position he filled until last year. Martin Doran is selected at centre forward where he scored six points from play against Carlow three weeks ago. Niall Guiden, back in the panel after a year's absence, is unavailable due to a suspension received for his sending off against Carlow.

Meanwhile, Mayo have made four changes to the team that defeated Monaghan in a rescheduled League match two weeks ago and moved to the top of Division Three.

Ray Dempsey is named at centre forward after a lengthy, four month absence from the team largely the result of a three month suspension. Anthony McGarry comes in at right wing back in place of Kenneth Mortimer who got himself sent off in the Monaghan match. Kieran McDonald is the third change and the lines out at right wing forward, while Anthony Finnerty comes in after his midweek heroics which saved UCD's bacon in the Sigerson Cup against Cork RTC.