Bray back to bolster Royals

Stephen Bray will return from injury to lead the Meath attack in Sunday's Leinster SFC quarter-final against Carlow at O'Connor Park (throw-in 2pm).

Bray suffered a hamstring strain in training before Meath's opening round win over Wicklow, but the former All-Star has been passed fit to return for the trip to Tullamore.

Mark Collins makes way for the Navan O'Mahonys clubman on the forty, while in the only other personnel change Donal Keogan slots in at corner back as an indirect replacement for injured captain Seamus Kenny.

Kenny sustained cruciate knee ligament damage early on in the Wicklow game and will miss the rest of the season. Clann na nGael's Shane McAnarney will take over the captaincy.

Three of the four Championship debutants that started against Wicklow have been retained. Collins is the only one to drop to the bench, with Donnacha Tobin, Alan Forde and Conor Gillespie all retained.

Meath manager Seamus McEnaney has decided to move Tobin into the half-back line alongside Tobin and Mickey Burke with Bryan Menton reverting to corner back. Gillespie and Brian Meade will form the midfield partnership.

Meanwhile, Under-21 players Conor Lawlor and Darragh Foley have been drafted into the Carlow team for their first match in this summer's Championship.

Carlow boss Luke Dempsey has selected Lawlor at full-back where he will come up against the wily Joe Sheridan, while Kilbride clubman Foley joins Brendan Murphy at centre-field.

Defender Shane Redmond from Tinryland will captain the underdogs who will be hoping that a full-forward line containing JJ Smith, Sean Gannon and Daniel St. Ledger can cause problems for the Meath rearguard.

The Barrowsiders had a poor league run, finishing above only London and Kilkenny in Division 4. Cruciate injuries for John Murphy, Paul Cashin and Cormac Mullins have hampered them.

When Carlow last met Meath in the Championship - a Leinster SFC clash back in 2008 - the Royals ran out comfortable 1-25 to 0-8 winners, but the margin is unlikely to be as wide this weekend.

MEATH (SFC v Carlow): David Gallagher; Donal Keogan, Kevin Reilly, Bryan Menton; Donncha Tobin, Shane McAnarney (capt), Mickey Burke; Conor Gillespie; Brian Meade; Alan Forde, Stephen Bray, Greham Reilly; Brian Farrell, Joe Sheridan, Cian Ward.

CARLOW: Trevor O'Reilly; Padraig Murphy, Conor Lawlor, Brendan Kavanagh; Kieran Nolan, Shane Redmond (capt), Tony Bolger; Brendan Murphy, Darragh Foley; Brian Murphy, Paul Reid, Eoghan Ruth; JJ Smith, Sean Gannon, Daniel St. Ledger.