In a surprise move the Galway management team has axed Claregalway's Barry Cullinane and Carna/Caisheal's Niall Coyne from the county panel.
Damien Dunleavy (Killkerrin/Clonberne ) and Paul Doherty (Tuam Stars ) have also been let go.
The players were informed of the decision last weekend and were not involved in the team's recent challenge with Louth.
The decision to drop Cullinane appears to leave Galway short of midfield options for their clash with Sligo on Sunday week as Annaghdown's Niall Coleman is still not fully recovered from injury and the versatile Gareth Bradshaw is still unavailable too.
It looks likely, based on the two recent challenges, that it will be Joe Bergin and Paul Conroy who will take on the Sligo duo of Tony Taylor and the hugely improved Stephen Gilmartin in what will be a crucial battle to see who advances to the Connacht final.
The decision to drop Niall Coyne so close to the Sligo game also took some members of the panel by surprise as it was felt he was moving well in training and provided options across the half-back line.
In other team news team captain Michael Meehan has only recently resumed light jogging and he is still not back to anything like match fitness, so at this stage it looks highly unlikely he will be involved in the Connacht semi-final in any capacity.
Milltown's Diarmuid Blake, Damien Burke and Matt Clancy are all carrying knocks too and their availability for team selection is a cause of concern for Joe Kernan.
The team that defeated Louth last weekend was Adrian Faherty, Kieran Fitzgerald, Finian Hanley, Alan Burke, Declan Meehan, Conor Healy, Gary O'Donnell, Paul Conroy, Joe Bergin, Gary Sice, Sean Armstrong, Cormac Bane, Eoin Concannon, Padraig Joyce, Nicky Joyce.
The subs involved were Fiachra Breathnach, Danny Cummins, Michael Martin, Darren Mullaghy and Cillian de Paor.
