Richie Bennis and his management team will announce their team for the Thurles clash on Tuesday next. The team will show at least two changes from the side that took to the field in last September's All-Ireland final.
Centre-back Brian Geary and full forward Brian Begley will both be absent. While Geary has returned to full training and played for periods in recent challenge games against Dublin and Galway, it is understood that he will not be up to the required match fitness. Begley, meanwhile, departed the squad last month, owing to his on-going battle against injury.
Aside from these two enforced changes, there could also be further changes for the men in green.
Paudie O'Dwyer looks odds-on to claim the number six shirt, but elsewhere the team selection is not straight forward. Denis Moloney has returned to full training, but like Geary the Doon defender is short of match sharpness. Wayne McNamara, James Ryan, Pat Tobin, Barry Foley and Niall Moran are all pushing hard to break into the unit that starting in Croke Park in Limerick's last championship outing.
"We might need to freshen things up," explained Richie Bennis this week.
"This year we have a stronger squad that last season," he outlined.
Two, who won't be involved are Kevin Ryan (broken finger) and Conor Fitzgerald (collar bone).
"Clare are going to be tough," said Bennis, who was in the Gaelic Grounds to see The Banner dethrone Waterford.
"There is no talking of Munster finals, all our preparation is about just one match - Clare looked impressive and their accuracy was almost 100%."
Limerick continued their preparations with a challenge game against Galway last Sunday. The clash against Ger Loughnane's Tribesmen marked the official opening of new facilities in Loughrea and the home side were 0-20 to 0-18 winners.
Brian Geary continued his battle back to full fitness, after his cruciate ligament operation, and played the final 20 minutes at centre back.
Fellow cruciate ligament victim, Denis Moloney played the entire game at corner back. Full back Stephen Lucey also played the full game after recovering from a groin strain.
In a largely experimental side, Richie Bennis and his management team again chose to try Niall Moran at full forward and he responded with three points from play.
Just three days after helping Limerick to overcome Waterford in the Munster U21 championship, both Gavin O'Mahony and James Ryan started in Loughrea, while Eoin Ryan came into the fray from the substitutes bench.
Limerick: Brian Murray; Mark O'Riordan, Stephen Lucey, Denis Moloney; Gavin O'Mahony, Paudie O'Dwyer, Wayne McNamara; Kevin Tobin, James Ryan; Michael Fitzgerald, Mike O'Brien, Barry Foley; Donncha Sheehan, Niall Moran, Pat Tobin. Subs used: Eoin Ryan, David Breen, Brian Geary, Ollie Moran, Dave Bulfin, Peter Lawlor, Michael Noonan.
Galway: James Skehill; Damien Joyce, Shane Kavanagh, Ollie Canning; Tony Og Regan, Conor Dervan, Andrew Keary; Richie Murray, David Forde; Andy Smith, Cyril Donnellan, Iarla Tannian; Damien Hayes, Kerril Wade, Aonghus Callanan.
Meanwhile, stand and terrace tickets for the Semple Stadium clash of Limerick and Clare will be available through the clubs of the county from Tuesday next, June 17. A limited number of family tickets will also be available through the clubs.
On Friday, June 20 , tickets will go on public sale from four locations throughout the county.
The general sale will take place between 6.30-8.30 on the Friday evening from the Gaelic Grounds, Fitzgerald Park Kilmallock, Mick Neville Park Rathkeale and Caherconlish. The Thurles semi-final has a 4.00 start and will be televised live on RTE2.