Garrycastle's Doron Harte gets the nod to start for Westmeath's senior footballers against Louth on Sunday.

Westmeath senior football manager Pat Flanagan has named his starting fifteen for Sunday's Leinster SFC opener against Louth (Navan, 3.30pm).

With Dessie Dolan not returning to the Lake County setup, Westmeath have been boosted by the news that key forward Denis Glennon has been passed fit to play, despite problems with a niggling back injury.

St Loman's star Paul Sharry - employed at centre half back for a portion of the league campaign - starts at top of the left alongside Glennon and his younger brother David, while veteran Michael Ennis moves into centre half.

There are starts for the Garrycastle trio of John Gaffey, Doron Harte and James Dolan, with Gaffey named at full back in place of Kieran Gavin, who is injured.

Westmeath (v Louth, LSFC): Gary Connaughton (capt., Tubberclair); Micheál Curley (Mullingar Shamrocks), John Gaffey (Garrycastle), Kevin Maguire (Caulry); Doron Harte (Garrycastle), Michael Ennis (Ballinagore), Daniel McDermott (Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall); Paul Bannon (Athlone), John Heslin (St Loman's); Kieran Martin (Maryland), Ger Egan (Tyrrellspass), James Dolan (Garrycastle); Denis Glennon (Tyrrellspass), David Glennon (Tyrrellspass), Paul Sharry (St Loman's).

Meanwhile, senior hurling manager Brian Hanley has opted for an experimental starting XV for the Leinster senior hurling championship preliminary against Antrim (Saturday, Cusack Park, 3pm), giving championship debuts to six players.

Former football regular Francis Boyle (Raharney) starts at centre-half forward, while debuts have been handed to minor stars Niall O'Brien (Castletown-Geoghegan) and Robbie Greville (Raharney).

Clonkill's Eoin Price is back from injury and starts at corner forward, while Raharney's Paul Greville occupies a wing-back position.

Westmeath (v Antrim, LSHC): Shane McGovern (Crookedwood); Conor Jordan (Raharney), Adam Price (Clonkill), Paul Fennell (Castletown-Geoghegan); Paddy Dowdall (capt., Clonkill), Alan McGrath (Clonkill), Paul Greville (Raharney); Aonghus Clarke (Castletown-Geoghegan), Joe Clarke (Castletown-Geoghegan); Brendan Murtagh (Clonkill), Francis Boyle (Raharney), Robbie Greville (Raharney); Niall O'Brien (Castletown-Geoghegan), John Shaw (Raharney), Eoin Price (Clonkill).