Kerry to start without Captain

League, Munster and All-Ireland champions Kerry get their 2005 competitive campaign under way today, without captain Declan O'Sullivan.

Kerry travel to Clonmel to take on Tipperary in the McGrath Cup quarter-final, and O'Sullivan is sidelined with a knee injury, for which he may need an operation.

The Kingdom are also without John Sheehan (groin) and Tommy Griffin (ankle).

Padraig Reidy, Darren O'Sullivan, Bryan Sheehan, Paddy Kelly, Noel Kennelly, Kieran Cremin and Declan Quill could be in the starting line-up, while Seamus

Moynihan, sidelined since the Munster semi-final, may also return.

Tipperary boss Seamus McCarthy could not face a more daunting task for his first competitive outing in charge of the Premier footballers.

McCarthy has named a team that includes 10 of last year's championship-starting side for today's game.

Peter King, Pa Morrissey, Niall Fitzgerald, Eamonn Hanrahan and John Shanahan come into the side.

In today's other quarter-final, Munster minnows Waterford host IT Tralee in Kill.

TIPPERARY (SF v Kerry): B Enright; D Byrne, N Curran, P King; P Morrissey, N Fitzgerald, R Costigan; E Hanrahan, K Mulryan; A Fitzgerald, F O'Callaghan, P Cahill; J Shanahan, D Browne, D O'Brien.