Kildare call on Flanagan

Kildare manager Kieran McGeeney has drafted Brian Flanagan into his team for tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Donegal at Croke Park (throw-in 6pm).

It will be Flanagan's first Championship start since the Lilywhites' Leinster quarter-final win over Meath on June 5.

He will line out at right half-back in place of Gary White, who has struggled for form recently and been substituted in each of Kildare's last four games.

This is a fifth match in six weeks for McGeeney's charges, who were beaten semi-finalists in last year's All-Ireland Championship.

Donegal were beaten 1-17 to 1-16 when the sides last met in the Championship, back in the 2001 qualifiers in Newbridge. Current Kildare captain John Doyle was their top scorer that day with 0-5.

The sides most recently clashed in Division 2 of the Allianz Football League earlier this year. Donegal led by four points after 68 minutes' action in Letterkenny, but Kildare finished strongly with a point from Eamonn Callaghan and a goal from Michael Foley earning them a draw - 1-5 to 0-8.

KILDARE (SFC v Donegal): Shane Connolly; Aindriú Mac Lochlainn, Michael Foley, Hugh McGrillen; Brian Flanagan, Morgan O'Flaherty, Emmet Bolton; John Doyle (capt), Daryl Flynn; Padraig O'Neill, Eoghan O'Flaherty, Eamonn Callaghan; Robert Kelly, Tomás O'Connor, James Kavanagh.