Tyrone ring changes for league clash with Galway
Last updated on .From the section Gaelic Games
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Darren McCurry is one of four Tyrone players making first league starts of the year in Sunday's game with Galway.
Goalkeeper Niall Morgan, fullback Ronan McNamee and midfielder Padraig McNulty are the others drafted in after last week's Division Two win against Cavan.
Tyrone captain Sean Cavanagh and Peter Harte are ruled out through injury.
Meanwhile, manager Mickey Harte has defended Tiernan McCann after suggestions the player deliberately caused a serious injury to an opponent.
Harte hits out over 'horrific' incident claims
Derry's Brendan Rogers needed 14 stitches in his face after being hit by McCann in the recent McKenna Cup final.
Derry manager Damian Barton later told BBC Sport NI it was an "horrific incident".
However Harte has responded: "the injury was horrific, but the incident wasn't horrific".
"The incident was very much accidental.
"I'd be disappointed at the way it has been coming out regularly since that happened.
"First of all, nobody wants to see any player getting injured.
"We very much regret that he had the injury he had, nobody wants to see any player injured.
"The outcome of the incident was horrific, the incident itself could not be described as horrific, more accidental."
Harte believes Rogers' injury, sustained straight after the throw-in at last month's final in the Athletic Grounds, was caused as a result of an honest challenge.
"I have watched it numerous times, and I can understand how it happened.
"Tiernan McCann was going forward, he reached in for a broken ball and to reach in for that broken ball necessarily meant his shoulder turned forward, and at that time he clashed with Brendan Rogers.
"If anyone wants to look really closely at the footage, if you thought that Tiernan McCann had any malicious intent, he would have been looking at the person that he intended to do that with."
Tyrone won the final after extra time by 1-22 to 1-17.
Mickey O'Neill, Mark Bradley, Cathal McShane and Lee Brennan are the four players who drop out of Tyrone's starting line-up for Sunday's Division Two game in Salthill.
Skipper Cavanagh is struggling with a calf injury, putting his first league appearance of the season on hold.
Although Harte made a substitute appearance against Cavan, he has also been ruled out of the match-day squad with an ankle injury.
In Sunday's other Division 2 game, Fermanagh face a tough test against a Meath side which opened their campaign last weekend with a 1-10 to 0-8 win over Armagh.
Erne County boss Peter McGrath is without the McCusker brothers Declan McCusker and Paul because of a family engagement in Australia so Niall Cassidy and Ryan Hanna are drafted into the side.
A further change sees Patrick Rehill replacing Conall Jones as the Fermanagh boss makes a number of positional switches.
Meath are further boosted by the return of Graham Reilly to their starting line-up.
O'Reilly missed last weekend's win because of injury but he is recalled along with Sean Tobin as Darragh Smyth and Brian McMahon make way.
Fermanagh played well in the first half against Derry before succumbing to a 3-13 to 1-10 defeat but the reality is that another loss this weekend will leave Peter McGrath's side facing a likely relegation battle for the remainder of the campaign.
Tyrone: N Morgan, A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron, R Brennan, J McMahon, T McCann, C Cavanagh, P McNulty, N Sludden, M Donnelly, C Meyler, D McCurry, C McAliskey, R O'Neill
Subs: M O'Neill, M Bradley, L Brennan, C Clarke, P Hampsey, HP McGeary, K McGeary, C McCann, C McShame, D Mulgrew, B Tierney.
Fermanagh: C Snow; M Jones, C Cullen, N Cassidy; P Rehill, J McMahon, A Breen; E Donnelly (capt), D Kelly; B Mulrone, C Flaherty, R Hanna; R Corrigan, Sean Quigley, T Corrigan.
Meath: P O'Rourke; D Keogan, C McGill, M Burke; B Power, P Harnan, C Finn; H Rooney, A Tormey; G Reilly, C O'Sullivan, J McEntee; S Tobin, M Newman, D Lenihan.
WEEKEND ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday - 19:00 GMT unless stated
Division 1
Mayo v Dublin, Castlebar
Division 2
Armagh v Laois, Athletic Grounds
Cavan v Derry, Breffni Park
Division 4
London v Carlow, Ruislip, 13:00
Sunday - 14:00
Division 1
Donegal v Cork, Ballyshannon
Kerry v Roscommon, Fitzgerald Park
Monaghan v Down, Clones
Division 2
Fermanagh v Meath, Brewster Park
Galway v Tyrone, Pearse Stadium
Division 3
Kildare v Offaly, Newbridge
Longford v Limerick, Pearse Park
Sligo v Westmeath, Markievicz Park
Tipperary v Clare, Sean Treacy Park
Division 4
Antrim v Wexford, Corrigan Park
Leitrim v Wicklow, Carrick-on-Shannon
Waterford v Louth, Carriganore
