Gilroy includes dozen from last year's final

Twelve players from Dublin's victorious 2011 All-Ireland final team will start against Louth at Croke Park on Sunday (throw-in 4.30pm).

Manager Pat Gilroy's selection for the Leinster SFC quarter-final tie has a tried and trusted feel to it - only Cian O'Sullivan, Denis Bastick and Barry Cahill are missing from the side that lined out against Kerry.

Corner back Philly McMahon, midfielder Eamon Fennell and full-forward Kevin McManamon, the Dubs' goal-scoring hero from last September, are the players to replace them.

Alan Brogan, the 2011 Footballer of the Year, is positioned at centre-forward, while his younger brother Bernard will make his seasonal debut at top of the left after missing the league campaign through injury.

Gilroy says the decision to give key players like the Brogans some extra rest during the early part of the season should aid his side's bid to retain their Leinster and All-Ireland crowns.

"We'd be very conscious that lads go through the All-Ireland and then go playing with their clubs. Most of our guys were involved right through to early December with their clubs," he explained.

"If you are back to training on the first of January then that is a very long year. So, the policy we took was that we gave people who had injuries loads of time to recover.

"We could have pressed Alan (Brogan) into service earlier, Bernard (Brogan) and Denis Bastick as well, but we felt, 'no, let's try get them fully recovered and it might stand to us in the summer'."

Dublin's latest Sam Maguire Cup success was built on a rock solid defence and high work-rate - they never conceded more than 0-15 throughout their six-match Championship charge.

Asked about the team's approach to the 2012 Championship, Gilroy said: "If you go out and do the same things people will have cottoned on to what you are doing, so you have to bring something different to the party.

"Whether that's new people or different ways of playing that's what we'd be doing - not changing a whole pile, just a tweak here and there."

The winners of Sunday's last-eight encounter will qualify to meet Longford or Wexford in a July 1 semi-final at Croke Park.

DUBLIN (SFC v Louth): Stephen Cluxton; Philly McMahon, Rory O'Carroll, Michael Fitzsimons; James McCarthy, Ger Brennan, Kevin Nolan; Eamon Fennell, Michael Darragh Macauley; Bryan Cullen (capt), Alan Brogan, Paul Flynn; Diarmuid Connolly, Kevin McManamon, Bernard Brogan