Normally when a team starts a championship match without at least five first-choice players their chances of victory will be severely curtailed. But such is the new-found strength of the Galway football panel they still go into Sunday's Connacht semi-final against Leitrim in Pearse Stadium well fancied to progress to next month's final against either Mayo or Roscommon.

Among those not in the starting 15 on Sunday are defenders Richie Fahey, Clive Monaghan and Seán de Paor, midfielder Joe Bergin and team captain and forward Pádraic Joyce. All five are either suffering from or recovering from injury or illness, although they all feature among the substitutes.

As a result manager Peter Ford has looked to his All-Ireland winning under-21 panel. Five members of that team will start on Sunday, with three of them making their senior championship debuts.

Defender Alan Burke comes in for Fahey, while Bergin's place at midfield goes to Barry Cullinane. Corner forward Seán Armstrong also gets his first championship start, while fellow under-21s Niall Coleman and Micheál Meehan both started in the easy win over New York back on May 15th. Val Feeney, who is not long out of the under-21 ranks, is retained in the defence having also made his first championship start against New York, which Galway won 3-14 to 0-6.

"We do have our fair share of injury problems," said Ford, "and then we've two players with the mumps, Clive Monaghan and Joe Bergin. They haven't even been in contact with us in case they pass it on. Pádraic Joyce's ankle injury just hasn't recovered in time, so we've had to rule him out as well. Those players aren't easily replaced but we've done our best."

Taking over the under-21 management has proved to be a wise move for Ford and his selection team of former senior player Jarlath Fallon, Frank Broderick and Gaeltacht representative Ciarán Ó Flatharta. The five-point win over Down in the All-Ireland final early last month helped confirm the likes of Cullinane, Coleman and Armstrong as senior championship material.

"Yeah, the lads we've called in are all fine footballers," added Ford. "Maybe some of the older lads will have to come up with something a little extra to compensate for players like Joe Bergin and the Pádraic Joyce. But I've no doubts at all about any of those young players. They're all fine players with a great attitude and they won't let us down.

"But it's not like they've just come out of the woodwork because they have been well known over the past few years. They've been outstanding players at minor and under-21 level before I got here."

Ford's selection for Sunday is also notable for the inclusion of Michael Donnellan. The two-time All-Ireland winner sat out all of Galway's league campaign but after returning to the panel last month gets his first start under Ford's management.

"Well Michael is in great shape," said Ford. "He worked very hard while he was away from us during the league, and has come back almost as fit as anybody. And he's been working very hard since."

One notable absentee from the panel is Tommy Joyce, who featured in all four of Galway's championship matches last summer. The experienced Killererin player appears to have called time on his county career having made his senior debut under John O'Mahony in the All-Ireland winning season of 1998.

"Tommy decided shortly after coming back from New York that he wouldn't continue on," explained football board chairman Pat Egan. "He wasn't making the team, but in fairness to him, he was there a good while."

Though still only 28, the two-time All-Ireland medallist and brother of team captain Pádraic played in several of Galway's league matches, but has failed to find a way into Ford's redesigned team.

Meanwhile, Leitrim manager Dessie Dolan has resisted any temptation to tinker with the side that upset Sligo in last month's provincial first round.

Darren Duignan, who came on as a replacement for the final quarter of the match, scored two points and earned the praise of his manager, nonetheless reverts to the bench for this weekend's fixture. Wing back Shane Foley was sent off late in that match but on foot of two yellow cards so he is clear to play.

Leitrim haven't beaten Galway in the championship for 11 years, the season when the county famously won only their second provincial title and first for 67 years.

LEITRIM (SF v Galway): C McCrann; M McGuinness, J McKeon, D Reynolds; N Gilbane, B McSweeney, S Foley; C Carroll, G McCloskey; J Goldrick, B Prior, M Foley; J Glancy, C Regan, D Maxwell. Subs: G Phelan, D Beck, B Butler, D Duignan, B Guckian, C Kennedy, D Kennedy, J McGowan, D McHugh, D McKiernan, G Prior, C Quinn, D Brennan.