McGrath is ruled out for the entire league with a shoulder injury, but both Browne and Flynn are included among the substitutes.

Denis Coffey will make his first start of the league campaign at right half-back.

Meanwhile, Dave Sweeney makes his first league appearance this season for Dublin at right half-forward, and Fergal Chambers comes into the side at left corner-forward.

Barry Nugent will make his first competitive start for Clare in today's clash with Galway at Cusack, Park, Ennis.

Nugent has been called up at half-forward after impressing in Limerick IT's Fitzgibbon Cup campaign.

Brian Lohan returns from injury to full-back for his first match since the All-Ireland quarter-final replay against Kilkenny last August.

Veteran Kilkenny star DJ Carey is named at centre-back on the Kilkenny hurling side for today's clash against Laois at Portlaoise.

The former All Star attacker has featured in defence in a number of challenge matches for the Cats recently, with Peter Barry out of county action as he prepares for next weekend's All-Ireland club hurling final.

Elsewhere, manager Brian Cody makes three other changes with Jimmy Coogan, Aidan Fogarty and John Maher getting the nod.

WATERFORD (SH v Dublin): C Hennessy; T Feeney, F Hartley, E Murphy; D Coffey, J Murray, B Wall; N Walsh, B Phelan; D Shanahan, E Kelly; D Bennett; P O'Brien, S Prendergast, J Mullane.

DUBLIN (SH v Waterford): G Maguire; G O'Meara, T Russell, S O'Shea; S Hiney, M Carton, P Bergin; C Meehan, G Bennett; D Sweeney, D Curtin, E Moran; E Carroll, J Kingston, F Chambers.

CLARE (SH v Galway): D Fitzgerald; B O’Connell, B Lohan, G O’Grady; D Hoey, S McMahon, A Markham; G Quinn, D McMahon; C Lynch, F Lohan, B Nugent; N Gilligan, T Carmody, D O’Connell.

KILKENNY (SH v Laois): J McGarry; J Ryall, N Hickey, T Walsh; M Kavanagh, DJ Carey, JJ Delaney; D Lyng, B Barry; M Comerford, J Maher, W O'Dwyer; J Coogan, J Hoyne, A Fogarty.