Brennan goes strong for league opener

Captain Frayne returns from injury to lead Meath against Derry

Meath manager Robbie Brennan has made three changes to the team that started the All-Ireland SFC semi-final last July with Brian O'Halloran, Cathal Hickey and Jack Flynn coming in for Ronan Ryan, Ruairi Kinsella and Adam O'Neill for Saturday's NFL Div 2 opener against Derry in Croke Park, 3pm.

Ryan has recovered sufficiently from the injury to take his place on the bench, but Saturday's game appears to have come too soon for Kinsella who is still recovering from a hamstring injury that has kept him out of Maynooth UI's Sigerson Cup campaign.

Jack Flynn, who missed that loss to Donegal through injury, returns to midfield to partner Bryan Menton, who picked up an injury after 20 minutes against Donegal.

Eoghan Frayne, who missed Summerhill's Leinster Club SFC clash with Athy, made a surprise return for Maynooth in Sigerson Cup on Wednesday night, and he comes straight into the team as captain.

Oisin Martin, Killian Smyth and Charlie O'Connor are in line for league debuts off the bench, but there is no place for Conor Gray in the 26 with four of the five subs who came on in the All-Ireland SFC semi-final, Gray, Eoin Harkin, James McEntee and Shane Walsh, not in the matchday squad and in Walsh's case, not on the panel this year due to travels.

Meath - Billy Hogan; Seamus Lavin, Sean Rafferty, Brian O'Halloran; Donal Keogan, Sean Coffey, Ciaran Caulfield; Bryan Menton, Jack Flynn; Conor Duke, Mathew Costello, Cathal Hickey; Jordan Morris, Keith Curtis, Eoghan Frayne. Subs - Sean Brennan, Ronan Ryan, Killian Smyth, Adam O'Neill, Cian McBride, Oisin Martin, Jason Scully, Aaron Lynch, Jack O'Connor, Jordan Muldoon, Charlie O'Connor.