Wales internationals Ashley Beck and Scott Baldwin will start for Warriors in the Gallagher Premiership match against Saracens at the StoneX Stadium on Boxing Day (kick-off 3.00pm).
Centre Beck has recovered from the groin injury he suffered in the victory over Wasps in Warriors’ last Premiership outing three weeks ago and which forced him to miss the EPCR Challenge Cup match against Newcastle Falcons.
Hooker Baldwin, who came off the bench at Newcastle, will start at Saracens in a swap with Niall Annett who took a knock to the head in that match.
Annett, who would have missed last week’s postponed Challenge Cup match against Biarritz, is fit again and returns to the matchday squad as a replacement.
Baldwin is the only change to the pack that started at Newcastle.
In the backs, Will Chudley and Fin Smith resume their half-back partnership. Chudley starts at scrum-half having scored his fourth try of the season when he came on as a replacement at Newcastle.
Gareth Simpson, who aggravated a rib injury in that match, has been named as a replacement scrum-half for Sunday’s trip to north London.
Scotland and British and Irish Lions loosehead prop Rory Sutherland again misses out with a dead leg which he sustained against Wasps.
Kai Owen, who came off the bench against Newcastle, again proves loosehead cover and is in line to make his first Premiership appearance of the season as a replacement.
Melani Nanai returns to the matchday squad as a replacement having completed his period of isolation following a positive COVID-19 test which ruled him out of the Newcastle match.
Warriors | 15 Jamie Shillcock, 14 Alex Hearle, 13 Francois Venter (CC), 12 Ashley Beck, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Will Chudley, 1 Ethan Waller, 2 Scott Baldwin, 3 Jay Tyack, 4 Joe Batley, 5 Andrew Kitchener, 6 Kyle Hatherell, 7 Ted Hill (CC), 8 Sione Vailanu.
Replacements | 16 Niall Annett, 17 Kai Owen, 18 Christian Judge, 19 Matt Kvesic, 20 Sam Lewis, 21 Gareth Simpson, 22 Oli Morris, 23 Melani Nanai.
Saracens | 15 Max Malins, 14 Sean Maitland, 13 Alex Lozowski, 12 Nick Tompkins, 11 Alex Lewington, 10 Alex Goode, 9 Aled Davies,1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Ethan Lewis, 3 Vincent Koch, 4 Maro Itoje, 5 Nick Isiekwe, 6 Jackson Wray, 7 Ben Earl, 8 Billy Vunipola.
Replacements | 16 Tom Woolstencroft, 17 Richard Barrington, 18 Harvey Beaton, 19 Tim Swinson, 20 Theo McFarland, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Manu Vunipola, 23 Elliot Daly.