Goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton, Philip McMahon, Devereux, Kevin Nolan and Bryan Cullen come into the starting line-up, with Michael Savage, Darren Daly, Seán Murray, Paul Casey and Michael Darragh Macauley losing out.

A late inclusion against Mayo, Alan Brogan remains at right corner forward ahead of his younger brother Bernard, who missed the Mayo game as he was guest of the American Ambassador to Ireland at the White House for St Patrick’s Day.

Tomás Quinn will captain the team against last year's beaten All-Ireland finalists. Pat Gilroy's men need just one more league point to qualify for their first Division 1 final since 1999.

Meanwhile, Gilroy's hurling counterpart Anthony Daly has had to delay his team announcement ahead of tomorrow's Hurling League Division 1 game against Kilkenny.

The curtain raiser at Croke Park (throw-in 5.15pm) will be a good barometer of Dublin's early season progress. They lost their unbeaten record to Galway at Parnell Park last Sunday.

Daly has a worrying injury list at present, with the likes of former All-Star Alan McCrabbe, captain Stephen Hiney, David Treacy, Conor Clinton, Shane Stapleton, Conor McCormack and Joey Boland all currently unavailable.

Peter Kelly is back in contention after missing the games against Wexford and Galway with a shoulder injury, but Maurice O'Brien, who has just returned to training, will sit out the clash with the Cats.

DUBLIN (v Down): S Cluxton; P McMahon, P Brogan, N Devereux; K Nolan, G Brennan, D Nelson; D Bastick, B Cahill; P Flynn, K McManamon, B Cullen; A Brogan, D Connolly, T Quinn (capt).