by Adam Moynihan

Kerry full back Jason Foley is set for a remarkable return to the Kerry team after recovering from injury quicker than was originally expected.

Worried supporters were lighting candles for the Ballydonoghue man when he went down with a nasty-looking ankle ligament injury against Roscommon on St Patrick’s Day and it appears as though their prayers have been answered.

It was initially feared that the pacy defender was going to miss the entirety of the Munster Championship – if not some, or all, of the Sam Maguire group stage as well – but he has been named in Kerry's starting line-up for Sunday’s Munster final against Clare.

Foley has been an integral part of Kerry’s defence for a number of years, starting 44 league and championship games in a row before that awkward landing in Athlone almost seven weeks ago.

Tadhg Morley slipped back into the full back line while his teammate was in the treatment room but the consensus is that Foley will be needed to man the last line of Kerry’s defence if they are to mount a serious All-Ireland charge again this summer.

On Sunday Morley will return to his favoured centre back spot, freeing up Gavin White to slide out to the wing.

All-action win back Brian Ó Beaglaoich also returns to Kerry's starting 15. The man from An Ghaeltacht missed most of the league with a calf injury and he was unfortunate to pick up an illness during the team’s pre-championship training camp in Portugal.

Foley and Ó Beaglaoich replace Graham O'Sullivan and Seán O'Brien in Kerry's back six. O'Brien drops to the bench while the status of O'Sullivan is currently unknown. The Dromid player was a regular starter throughout the league but he will not be part of the matchday 26 for the trip to Ennis.

Back-up goalkeeper Shane Murphy gets the nod between the sticks with Shane Ryan taking the number 16 jersey for this one. It has been routine in recent seasons for management to give the second choice keeper at least one start in the league but Ryan played in all seven Division 1 matches this year, so it appears as though O'Connor is using this opportunity to hand the Dr Crokes stopper some minutes.

Up front, Murphy's Crokes clubmate Tony Brosnan also makes his first start of the season with Adrian Spillane making way for the nippy corner forward.

Clare manager Mark Fitzgerald (a Kerins O'Rahillys man) has also named his team for Sunday's provincial decider.

Key forwards Emmet McMahon and Aaron Griffin are named at 13 and 14. McMahon scored 1-3 and Griffin had five points from play in the Banner's easy win over Waterford in the semi-final

Kerry v Clare takes place at 1.45pm on Sunday in Ennis. The game will be live on RTÉ.

KERRY TEAM TO PLAY CLARE

1. Shane Murphy

2. Paul Murphy

3. Jason Foley

4. Tom O'Sullivan

5. Brian Ó Beaglaoich

6. Tadhg Morley

7. Gavin White

8. Diarmuid O'Connor

9. Joe O'Connor

10. Dara Moynihan

11. Paudie Clifford

12. Cillian Burke

13. Tony Brosnan

14. David Clifford

15. Seánie O'Shea

Subs: Shane Ryan, Seán O'Brien, Adrian Spillane, Barry Dan O'Sullivan, Dylan Casey, Paul Geaney, Stephen O'Brien, Mike Breen, Killian Spillane, Darragh Roche, Armin Heinrich.