Rowan Jenkins will have to wait for his first Ospreys start after withdrawing from the XV to kick-off against Wasps on Sunday afternoon.
The loose head prop has picked up an elbow injury, ruling him out, so Gareth Thomas comes in to the starting team having initially been named on the bench.
That prompts a front row reshuffle among the replacements, with Ifan Phillips, an unused replacement last weekend, returning to the bench to cover hooker, wearing the number 16 shirt, with Hugh Gustafson now wearing 17 instead and covering the loose head slot. Phillips will make his debut if he comes on.
There is a further change on the bench with Joe Tomalin-Reeves carrying an ankle injury, which means 19-year old Mitchell Walsh providing back row cover in the number 20 shirt. Like Phillips, Walsh is yet to play a senior match for the Ospreys.
Confirmed line-up:
15 Dafydd Howells
14 Jay Baker
13 Joe Thomas
12 Jonathan Spratt
11 Tom O’Flaherty
10 Luke Price
9 Matthew Aubrey
1 Gareth Thomas
2 Scott Otten
3 Rhodri Jones
4 James Ratti
5 Adam Beard
6 Tyler Ardron
7 Joe Bearman
8 Rob McCusker (Capt)
REPLACEMENTS
16 Ifan Phillips
17 Hugh Gustafson
18 Daniel Suter
19 Lloyd Ashley
20 Mitchell Walsh
21 Dan Baker
22 Kieron Fonotia
23 Hanno Dirksen
