Dublin have given Jonathan McGee his championship debut as centre back for Sunday's Leinster semi-final replay against Laois at Croke Park.

McGee is from the Kilmacud Crokes club and represents something of a gamble given that he has had hardly any National League experience this year and is now to be handed a major role.

The gamble is forced on manager Tom Carr and his selectors because of the decision to keep Ian Robertson - centre back during the League campaign - in the forwards where he has been the top performer and the broken collarbone sustained by Paul Curran in the drawn match.

Shane Ryan, who came on for Curran three weeks ago, is left on the bench this time.

"We have gone for a specialist," said Carr. "Jonathan has a lot of experience playing top-class football with his club and we have no doubt he'll do an excellent job for us."

McGee had a good campaign with Kilmacud as the club went to last season's Leinster final which they lost after three matches with Eire Og of Carlow. He is a solid, physical player, but of somewhat suspect pace. The other change sees Jason Sherlock come in at left corner forward instead of Brendan O'Brien. This change was generally expected, as Sherlock added some vitality to the attack when introduced as a replacement in the drawn match.

Meanwhile, Laois have made two changes from the side that started the drawn game, but have also left two vacancies in the full-forward line.

Both Mick Lawlor and David Sweeney, who came into that game as first-half substitutes, are preferred to Tom Kelly and Chris Conway, the players they replaced.

However, manager Tom Cribbin has major doubts about two of his stars in the first game, Hughie Emerson and Stephen Kelly. Emerson, who played such a huge part in Laois coming from six points down, has been laid low with the flu while Kelly, scorer of two crucial points, is suffering from a thigh injury sustained in that game and will undergo a fitness test on Saturday evening.

Both Lawlor's and Sweeney's selection were expected. Lawlor gave a scintillating display when introduced in the drawn game.

Cribbin's options are strengthened with the return of Brian McDonald to the squad.

Meanwhile, Mayo manager John Maughan has acknowledged that Liam McHale may not make the substitutes' bench for Sunday's Connacht final and strongly criticised the rule which restricts him to six named replacements. McHale is not listed amongst the substitutes but a vacancy has been left on the list.

"Liam would be the first man to put up his hand and say he is not fit," said Maughan, "but I am hoping that Liam will be there. He still has a huge contribution to make."

Included on the replacements' list are Pat Holmes, Kevin O'Neill and Kieran McDonald who returned to training a few weeks ago. "The management and team are happy that Kieran has sorted out his problems. There is no doubt that he is a tremendous player to have back for a Connacht final."

Maughan said it was farcical that only only six players can be officially named as replacements. "One of the most difficult jobs I have to do on Sunday and I think it is a total farce, is to name six players in the subs. We tog out nine players and I have to hoodwink the guys and pick six players and leave three blokes togged on the bench who won't get a game."

DUBLIN (SF v Laois): D Byrne; P Moran, P Christie, T Lynch; P Croft, J McGee, K Galvin; C Whelan, B Stynes; D Darcy, D Farrell, E Sheehy; J Gavin, I Robertson, J Sherlock. Subs: P Andrews, S Ryan, D Homan, N O'Donoghue, P Ward, M Casey, M O'Keeffe, D Conlon, B O'Brien.

LAOIS (SF): F Byron; E Delaney, D Rooney, P Conway; D Conroy, K Fitzpatrick, J Higgins; T Maher, G Doyle; I Fitzgerald, M Lawlor, D Sweeney; A N Other, A N Other, D Delaney. Subs: G Dunne, C Conway, B McDonald, T Kelly, N Garvan, G Ramsbottom, J Kealy, J Murphy, N Collins.