Nickie Quaid has sensationally been named to start for Limerick against Tipperary just over four months after undergoing knee surgery.
The three-time All-Star-winning goalkeeper ruptured his cruciate ligament in November and went under the knife in early December.
Shane Dowling, who reversed his inter-county retirement over the winter, had been expected to pip Jason Gillane to start between the sticks in the county's Munster SHC opener but he will now take the 16 jersey as the younger brother of Aaron drops off the panel.
Speaking two weeks ago, Limerick manager John Kiely said that Quaid was back in non-contact training but that it was "still early doors".
Full recovery from cruciate ligament surgery can take take up to a year.
Limerick could still make two changes to the 26 players submitted ahead of Sunday's game.
Kiely has made four changes to the side beaten by Cork in last year's All-Ireland semi-final: Barry Murphy, Colin Coughlan, Adam English and Shane O'Brien replacing Sean Finn, Declan Hannon, Tom Morrissey and Seamus Flanagan. Former captain Hannon and Flanagan miss out on the panel altogether.
Opponents Tipperary have made two changes to the XV beaten by Cork in the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A final.
John McGrath replaces Gearóid O'Connor in the forwards and Darragh Stakelum comes in for Willie Connors in midfield.
Limerick: Nickie Quaid; Barry Murphy, Michael Casey, Barry Nash; Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Colin Coughlan; William O'Donoghue, Cian Lynch; Gearoid Hegarty, David Reidy, Cathal O'Neill; Aaron Gillane, Shane O'Brien, Adam English.
Subs: Shane Dowling, Peter Casey, Sean Finn, Ethan Hurley, Dan Morrissey, Tom Morrissey, Aidan O'Connor, Fergal O'Connor, Donnacha Ó Dálaigh, Darragh O'Donovan, Paddy O'Donovan.
Tipperary: Barry Hogan; Robert Doyle, Eoghan Connolly, Michael Breen; Joe Caesar, Ronan Maher, Bryan O'Mara; Craig Morgan, Darragh Stakelum; Alan Tynan, Jake Morris, Sam O'Farrell; Darragh McCarthy, John McGrath, Jason Forde.
Subs: Rhys Shelly, Conor Bowe, Willie Connors, Sean Kenneally, Seamus Kennedy, Brian McGrath, Noel McGrath, Andrew Ormond, Gearoid O'Connor, Johnny Ryan, Conor Stakelum.
The injured Shane O'Donnell is the only one of the Clare XV that started last year’s All-Ireland final win over Cork who will not line up for Sunday’s rematch in Ennis.
Ryan Taylor replaces the Hurler of the Year while Diarmuid Ryan makes his first start of the year.
Cork change two from the team that beat Tipp in the league final, Mark Coleman replacing the injured Cormac O’Brien and veteran Seamus Harnedy in at wing-forward for Diarmuid Healy.
Clare: Eibhear Quilligan; Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Lean; Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon, David McInerney; David Fitzgerald, Cathal Malone; Tony Kelly, Mark Rodgers, Peter Duggan; Ryan Taylor, Aidan McCarthy, David Reidy.
Subs: Eamon Foudy, Darragh Lohan, Cian Galvin, Rory Hayes, Paddy Donnellan, Aaron Shanaher, Shane Meehan, Jack O Neill, Ian Galvin, Sean Rynne, Shane Woods.
Cork: Patrick Collins; Niall O'Leary, Eoin Downey, Seán O'Donoghue; Ciarán Joyce, Robert Downey, Mark Coleman; Tim O'Mahony, Ethan Twomey; Séamus Harnedy, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Shane Barrett; Patrick Horgan, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes.
Subs: Brion Saunderson, Eoin Roche, Damien Cahalane, Ger Millerick, Tommy O'Connell, Luke Meade, Brian Roche, Diarmuid Healy, Robbie O'Flynn, Declan Dalton, Shane Kingston.
Kilkenny talisman TJ Reid (above) misses their opening Leinster SHC clash with Galway tomorrow with a calf injury.
Adrian Mullen, Eoin Cody and Mikey Carey come into the team as the 37-year-old, Tommy Walsh and Luke Hogan drop to the bench. Kerry native Fionán Mackessy makes his championship debut.
Galway manager Micheál Donoghue has given Darach Fahy the nod in goals ahead of Eanna Murphy and John Fleming will make his championship bow at wing-forward. Veterans Dáithi Burke and David Burke are on the bench.
Kilkenny: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Shane Murphy; Mikey Carey, Richie Reid, Paddy Deegan; Cian Kenny, Jordan Molloy, Adrian Mullen; John Donnelly, Fionán Mackessy; Billy Ryan, Martin Keoghan, Eoin Cody.
Subs: Dean Mason, Tommy Walsh, Pádraic Moylan, David Blanchfield, Killian Doyle, Peter McDonald, Stephen Donnelly, Harry Shine, Luke Hogan, Billy Drennan, Eoghan Lyng.
Galway: Darach Fahy; Jack Grealish, Fintan Burke, Darren Morrissey; Padraic Mannion, Gavin Lee, TJ Brennan; Cianan Fahy, Tom Monaghan, John Fleming; Cathal Mannion, Tiernan Killeen; Conor Whelan, Brian Concannon, Declan Mc Loughlin.
Subs: Eanna Murphy, Shane Cooney, Joshua Ryan, Ronan Glennon, Seán Linnane, Donal O’Shea, Rory Burke, John Cooney, Conor Cooney, David Burke, Daithí Burke.
Wexford welcome back Liam Ryan, who is among the subs after almost 11 months out with injury, to face Antrim on Saturday but Conor McDonald and Shane Reck miss out due to injury.
Gerard Walsh lines out for the Saffrons despite a family bereavment but forwards Niall McKenna and Conor Johnston are injured.
Wexford: Mark Fanning; Eoin Ryan, Simon Donohoe, Conor Foley; Cian Molloy, Damien Reck, Charlie McGuckin; Conor Hearne, Richie Lawlor; Jack O'Connor, Rory O'Connor, Kevin Foley; Cathal Dunbar, Lee Chin, Cian Byrne.
Subs: Andrew Kennedy, Seamus Casey, Jack Redmond, Darragh Carley, Niall Murphy, Darren Codd, Corey Byrne Dunbar, Simon Roche, Tomás Kinsella, Mikie Dwyer, Liam Ryan.
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Stephen Rooney, Paddy Burke, Conor Boyd; Joe Maskey, Eoghan Campbell, Conal Bohill; Niall O'Connor, Gerard Walsh; Nigel Elliot, Keelan Molloy, Scott Walsh; Paul Boyle, James McNaughton, Seaan Elliot.
Subs: Cormac McFadden, Eoin McFerran, Ryan McGarry, Declan McCloskey, Sean McKay, Ryan McCambridge, Joseph McLaughlin, Eoin O'Neill, Cormac McKeown, Rory McCloskey, Aodhan McGarry.
Adam Screeney misses the Faithful County's trip to Parnell Park to play Dublin on Saturday despite making his return from an osteitis pubis injury with the county's U20s in recent weeks.
Dublin: Eddie Gibbons; John Bellew, Paddy Smyth, David Lucey; Paddy Doyle, Chris Crummey, Andy Dunphy; Conor Burke, Conor Donohue, Brian Hayes; Donal Burke, Fergal Whitely, Sean Currie; Cian O'Sullivan, Andrew Jamieson-Murphy, Sean Brennan.
Subs: Kevin Burke, Colin Currie, Paddy Dunnleavy, Ronan Hayes, John Hetherton, Conor McHugh, Diarmaid Ó Dúlaing, Conal O'Riain, Darragh Power, Danny Sutcliffe.
Offaly: Mark Troy: Ben Conneely; Ciaran Burke, Padraig Cantwell, Ross Ravenhill; Donal Shirley, Jason Sampson, Cathal King; David King, Killian Sampson, Daniel Bourke, Oisin Kelly; Dan Ravenhill, Brian Duignan, Charlie Mitchell.
Subs: Liam Hoare, Eoghan Cahill, Colin Spain, David Nally, Eoin Burke, Sam Bourke, James Mahon, Jack Clancy, Patrick Taaffe, Cillian Kiely, Luke Watkins.
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