Dublin name strong team for league opener with Monaghan

Dublin manager Dessie Farrell has named a strong starting 15 for this evening's Allianz National Football League Division 1 opener against Monaghan at Croke Park.

The All-Ireland champions get their league campaign underway at Headquarters from 7.30 tonight and Farrell has wasted no time throwing some of his most decorated stars straight into the mix against the Ulster side.

Jack McCaffrey is perhaps the most surprising name on the teamsheet with many assuming the Clontarf wing-back would be afforded an extended break in the early rounds of the Division 1 season.

Also in from the start - officially, at least - are Brian Fenton at midfield and Ciarán Kilkenny at wing forward while the full-forward line has an ominous look with regular first-choice marksmen Paddy Small, Cormac Costello and Con O'Callaghan named in the inside attacking line.

As expected, there is no sign of Stephen Cluxton, James McCarthy or Michael Fitzsimons at this early stage. The trio became the first men's Gaelic footballers to win nine All-Ireland titles after Dublin's defeat of Kerry in last July's decider. Na Fianna's David O'Hanlon, who played the majority of Dublin's preseason O'Byrne Cup campaign, starts in goal.

Seán Bugler, who missed the final stages of last year's championship campaign through injury, starts alongside Fenton in the middle of the field. The Monaghan starting team has yet to be released.

DUBLIN v Monaghan: D O'Hanlon; E Murchan, S MacMahon, L Gannon; G McEneaney, C Murphy, J McCaffrey; B Fenton, S Bugler; R McGarry, L O'Dell, C Kilkenny; P Small, C O'Callaghan, C Costello.

Watch Kerry v Derry in the Allianz Football League on Saturday from 5pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen