Ciaran McManus could be a shock absentee from the Offaly team which faces Kildare in the Leinster SFC at O'Moore Park on Sunday. The Tubber clubman, who has been a virtual ever-present for the Faithful since making his championship debut against Louth in 1996, has been working in England for much of this year, and while he played in most of Offaly's National League games, his unavailability for training sessions could count against him when Tom Cribben and his selectors sit down to finalise their starting XV. An Offaly championship team without McManus would be very strange indeed, but according to local speculation, Raheen's Conor Carroll is expected to get the nod to partner Gracefield's Niall Smith at midfield. Carroll has been a regular starter since Cribben took the reins halfway through the National League, and is poised to make his championship debut against the Lilywhites. Apart from the suspended PJ Ward, Cribben has a full deck to pick from, although there is some doubts about the fitness of defender Joe Quinn and forward Niall Darby. Alan Mulhall is expected to start in goal ahead of the long-serving Padraig Kelly, while Birr dual player Sean Ryan is set to feature in the forward line along Alan McNamee, Neville Coughlan, Thomas Deehan, Niall Darby and one from McManus, John Reynolds, James Coughlan and Ken Casey. Tweet

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