Kilkenny have sprung a surprise by giving the vacant left half back position for Sunday's Leinster hurling final to Sean Dowling - a player without any championship experience at senior level.

Regular wing back Peter Barry was ruled out of contention earlier this week as he continues to suffer the effects of a broken thumb, but no one expected manager Brian Cody to give Dowling the starting role against Wexford.

Dowling was listed as a substitute for the semi-final win over Offaly and was also a panel member last year, but this will be his first full outing with the team at this level.

A member of the O'Loughlin Gaels club, the 23-year-old had one game during the Allianz League, playing at centre back. He was a member of the All-Ireland under-21 winning side of two years ago.

The other change from the team that beat Offaly also came about through an injury. As expected, centre forward John Power failed to get over the groin injury suffered in the semi-final and that paves the way for the return for Brian McEvoy.

McEvoy will start at left half forward, a position filled by team captain Denis Byrne the last day. John Hoyne moves from the other wing into the centre and Byrne will now start at right half forward.

An All Star winner in 1999, McEvoy has been coming back from injury in recent months and was a second-half substitute for Canice Brennan in the semi-final.

Power was clearly seen to have suffered his groin injury late in the first half against Offaly. A period of rest failed to clear up the problem and recently he attended the highly-regarded clinic of sports injury therapist Gerard Hartmann in Limerick.

Hartmann told Power that further rest would be necessary and he is now unlikely to figure at any stage on Sunday.

The defending Leinster and All-Ireland champions also had an injury worry over DJ Carey but, as expected, he was named at full forward. The ankle injury which caused some worry over his participation in the semi-final was reported to still limit his training in recent weeks but yesterday he declared himself fit to play.

Barry's absence will be a definite loss to Kilkenny but Cody and his fellow selectors appear to have full confidence in Dowling. Derek Lyng was also in the running to take over as he was the substitute the last day.

KILKENNY (SH v Wexford): J McGarry; M Kavanagh, N Hickey, JJ Delaney; P Larkin, E Kennedy, S Dowling; A Comerford, C Brennan; D Byrne, J Hoyne, B McEvoy; C Carter, DJ Carey, H Shefflin.