Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks: Full team news for Friday's game at the Gardens
George Hendy will make his first appearance of the season when he starts for Saints against Sale Sharks on Friday night (kick-off 7.45pm).
Hendy has overcome the foot injury that has seen him miss the formative stages of the new campaign and will line up on the wing against the Sharks.
Ollie Sleightholme also comes in out wide, with George Furbank passed fit to start as he skippers Saints from full-back.
That means Tommy Freeman switches to outside centre, replacing Tom Litchfield, who is among the replacements, along with James Ramm.
Tom James has recovered from concussion to start at scrum-half, coming in for Archie McParland.
Up front, Saints have opted to shuffle their pack, with Robbie Smith in for Curtis Langdon at hooker, while lock Gavin Thornbury makes his first start for the black, green and gold.
Angus Scott-Young starts at six as he makes his 50th appearance for Saints, while Henry Pollock starts at No.8 in place of injured duo Sam Graham and Juarno Augustus.
Callum Hunter-Hill is ready to return from injury as he takes his place among the replacements, while loosehead prop Tarek Haffar is primed for his first appearance of the season as he is also on the bench.
Sale make four changes to the team that cruised past Newcastle Falcons last weekend as as Dan du Preez starts for the first time since January and Waisea Nayacalevu returns in the centres.
Prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour and winger Tom O’Flaherty also come back into the Sharks side following the win against the Falcons, while Luke James features on the replacements bench for the first time this season.
Saints: Furbank (c); Hendy, Freeman, Hutchinson, Sleightholme; F Smith, James; Iyogun, R Smith, Davison; Thornbury, Munga; Scott-Young, Pearson, Pollock.
Replacements: C Langdon, Haffar, Millar Mills, Hunter-Hill, Kemeny, McParland, Litchfield, Ramm.
Sale Sharks: Carpenter; Roebuck, Nayacalevu, Bedlow, O'Flaherty; R du Preez, Warr; McIntyre, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour; van Rhyn, Andrews; T Curry, B Curry (c), D du Preez.
Replacements: Caine, Onasanya, Harper, Bamber, Dugdale, Thomas, Curtis, James.