Suspended Campbell hoping for reprieve

Team newsThe Central Appeals Committee (CAC) will meet tonight, for the second time this week, to hear the case of Donegal full back Paddy Campbell ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland fourth-round qualifier against Fermanagh in Enniskillen.

The CAC, chaired by former Cork county board chairman Jim Forbes, upheld the 12-week suspension of Matty Forde last Monday evening.

Campbell is hoping the CAC overturn a four-week ban that, as it stands, rules him out of Sunday's game and the All-Ireland quarter-final against Cork, should Donegal progress. The suspension dates back to Campbell's last game, the Ulster final defeat to Armagh on July 9th.

The Central Disciplinary Committee (CDC) was criticised for taking so long to call the Forde and Campbell cases as the incidents dated back to July 2nd and June 18th respectively. Should the appeal fail, veteran full back Raymond Sweeney is poised to start.

Because of this distraction, and the ongoing rehabilitation of free-taker Michael Doherty, Donegal manager Brian McIver is expected to hold off naming a team until the weekend.

Doherty damaged knee ligaments against Derry in the Ulster semi-final but returned to light training this week.

Mick O'Dwyer has delayed naming a Laois team to play Offaly until tomorrow to allow Pádraic Clancy time to recover from the shoulder injury picked up in last month's loss to Dublin.

Meath dominated the midfield exchanges in the third-round game on July 15th; Noel Garvan is striving for fitness while former Brisbane Lions trainee Brendan Quigley is still only finding his feet at senior intercounty level.

"I think they have done well," said Laois selector Declan O'Loughlin in defence of the current midfield axis. "They have shipped a lot of criticism but people forget we won the last two games against quality opposition in Tyrone and Meath."

Another potential change is Ian Fitzgerald replacing Gary Kavanagh. This would mean county champions Stradbally have no player in the starting line-up and would lose the captaincy honour.

Fitzgerald replaced Kavanagh in the second half of the win over Meath and provided the crucial pass for Ross Munnelly's killer second goal.

Longford's Luke Dempsey has made one change to the team that beat Derry in the third round, naming Barry Gilleran at full back ahead of Noel Farrell for the game against Kerry.

Gilleran replaced Farrell after just 20 minutes of the victory over Derry in Pearse Park as the Longford defence struggled to contain Paddy Bradley.

Cathal Conefrey is favourite to mark Colm Cooper in Saturday's game in Killarney, having shadowed Tipperary's Declan Browne and Bradley in earlier rounds.

Dempsey has made do with a 24-man panel since the narrow defeat to Dublin in the Leinster championship as several players were lost to injury or defection. Enda Ledwith (broken hand) is the most high-profile absentee.

Kerry manager Jack O'Connor will select from a fully fit panel tonight, while Westmeath and Galway teams are expected to be finalised tomorrow evening.

LONGFORD: D Sheridan; D Brady, B Gilleran, C Conefrey; S Mulligan, D Masterson, D Reilly; B McElvaney, L Keenan; P Berry, P Barden, T Smullen; D Barden, P Dowd, B Kavanagh.