Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints: Full team news for Saturday's game

Furbank missed the most recent match, at home to Bath, due to a retrospective head injury assessment following the victory at Exeter Chiefs, but he returns at full-back against Tigers.

That allows George Hendy to move back to the wing, replacing Ollie Sleightholme, who is not in the matchday squad this weekend.

Rory Hutchinson comes in at centre for Tom Litchfield, who is on the bench, in the only other change to the backline.

Robbie Smith, JJ van der Mescht and Callum Chick are back in the pack as they come in for Craig Wright, Ed Prowse and Henry Pollock respectively.

Wright, Prowse and Pollock are among the replacements as Saints opt for a 6:2 split.

Cleopas Kundiona is sidelined after suffering an injury against Bath, while Danilo Fischetti is rested, meaning Tom West is on the bench.

Kundiona, Alex Coles, Trevor Davison, Tom James, Curtis Langdon, Henry Lumley, Tom Pearson, James Ramm, Freddie St John, Edoardo Todaro and Charlie Ulcoq are unavailable this weekend.

For Leicester, influential flanker Tommy Reffell is fit again and returns to the starting line-up, making his first appearance since leading Tigers in the PREM Rugby Cup final in March.

Adam Radwan comes in on the wing for Gabriel Hamer-Webb, while George Martin makes his first Tigers start of the season.

Elsewhere in the backline, Will Wand returns to the starting line-up, replacing Izaia Perese, who is on the bench. He is joined by the returning Solomone Kata, as the two powerful centres lie in wait to make their mark.

Billy Searle picked up an injury in training on Tuesday so James O’Connor starts at fly-half.

Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward; 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Will Wand, 12 Orlando Bailey, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins; 10 James O'Connor, 9 Jack van Poortvliet; 1 Nicky Smith, 2 Jamie Blamire, 3 Joe Heyes; 4 Ollie Chessum (c), 5 George Martin; 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Tommy Reffell, 8 Joaquin Moro.

Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 Archie van der Flier, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Cameron Henderson, 20 Samuel Williams, 21 Tom Whiteley, 22 Solomone Kata, 23 Izaia Perese.

Saints: 15 George Furbank (c); 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Rory Hutchinson, 12 Fraser Dingwall, 11 George Hendy; 10 Fin Smith, 9 Alex Mitchell; 1 Emmanuel Iyogun, 2 Robbie Smith, 3 Luke Green; 4 Tom Lockett, 5 JJ Van Der Mescht; 6 Josh Kemeny, 7 Sam Graham, 8 Callum Chick.

Replacements: 16 Craig Wright, 17 Tom West, 18 Elliot Millar Mills, 19 Ed Prowse, 20 Chunya Munga, 21 Henry Pollock, 22 Archie McParland, 23 Tom Litchfield.