Mayo make six changes to their starting line up.
James Horan has taken full advantage of this National league campaign, bleeding in new players and experimenting with positions and roles of personnel.
One of the main talking points was the fact that Aidan O’Shea was being used as an impact substitute, when normally he would be one of the first names on the team sheet.
Given his recent performances when sprung from the bench, it does seem to have the desired affect, as he has had a positive impact on all of the games so far.
However, it looks like he’s down to get his first start of the season against Kerry as Horan names him at centre half forward.
Padraig O’Hora and Paddy Durcan return to the defence, while Jack Carney and Fergal Boland replace Conor Loftus and Frank Irwin.
One other impressive addition to Mayo’s league campaign was the performances of Adam Orme, the young Knockmore star, who made himself known in their emphatic victory over Dublin in Croke Park.
The manager has rewarded these consistent performances with another start against The Kingdom this weekend, while Oisin Mullin seems to be returning to match fitness names at half back.
Cillian O’Connor has yet to feature this season, after missing almost the entirety of the 2021 championship last year due to a serious ankle injury.
The championship’s all time top scorer will no doubt be a huge asset to Horan’s men when he returns to fitness, but they will be looking him in sooner rather than later if he is to get any game time before the championship.
Robbie Hennelly returns to goal, as the injury he sustained in the warm-up to the Armagh game, does not seem to be as serious as first thought.
