Will Butler will captain Cavaliers against Northampton Wanderers in Monday’s Premiership Rugby Shield match at Franklin’s Gardens (kick-off 7.30pm).
The England Under-20s centre missed the first three months of the season with an elbow injury which he aggravated playing in the Premiership Rugby Sevens but made his comeback as a replacement in the European Challenge Cup match in Pau nine days ago.
Butler will now make his first start of the season alongside South Africa international Wynand Olivier in a strong Cavaliers side.
Tom Howe, Dean Hammond, Jack Cosgrove, Isaac Miller, Darren Barry, James Scott and Matt Cox – who also played in Pau – will all start with Beck Cutting, Simon Kerrod and Michael Heaney on the bench.
There are five guest players in the Cavaliers squad. Birmingham Moseley fly-half James Williams, who made his Warriors’ debut in the centre in last month’s Premiership Rugby Cup match at Saracens, Hartpury blindside Zac Ward and Oxford University blindside Sam Miller will all start.
London Scottish lock Matt Marley and Luctonians back-row forward Owien Harriott-Davies are named on the bench.
Cavaliers go into Monday’s match joint top of the Northern Conference with Newcastle Falcons having won three of their first four matches.
Cavaliers continue their Premiership Rugby Shield campaign on Sunday December 23 when Leicester Tigers are the visitors to Sixways (kick-off 1.10pm).
Cavaliers | 15 Nick David; 14 Tom Howe, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Will Butler (C), 11 Dean Hammond, 10 James Williams (Moseley), 9 Luke Baldwin, 1 Jack Gosgrove, 2 Isaac Miller, 3 Farai Mudariki, 4 Darren Barry, 5 James Scott, 6 Zac Ward (Hartpury), 7 Sam Miller (Oxford University), 8 Matt Cox.
Replacements | 16 Beck Cutting, 17 Kai Owen, 18 Simon Kerrod, 19 Matt Marley (London Scottish), 20 Owien Harriott-Davies (Luctonians), 21 Michael Heaney, 22, Gareth Simpson, 23 Alex Hearle.
Northampton Wanderers | 15 George Furbank, 14 Tom Collins, 13 Fraser Dingwall, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 James Grayson, 9 Charlie Davies, 1 Will Davis, 2 Reece Marshall (c), 3 Ehren Painter, 4 Alex Moon, 5 Alex Coles, 6 Devante Onojaife, 7 Heinrich Brüssow, 8 Mitch Eadie.
Replacements | 16 Samson Ma’asi, 17 Toby Trinder, 18 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 19 Lewis Bean (Bimingham Moseley), 20 Paddy Ryan, 21 Connor Tupai, 22 Fraser Strachan, 23 Matt Worley.