CROCKED captain Gerrit-Jan van Velze has been ruled out of Worcester Warriors’ Gallagher Premiership clash with Harlequins at Sixways on Friday night (7.45pm).
The club have confirmed van Velze has sustained a shoulder joint injury, meaning centre Ryan Mills will skipper the side who have made three changes to the starting line-up.
Matt Cox who came off the bench in last weekend’s 28-13 defeat at Bath will start at number eight in place of van Velze.
Sam Lewis retains his place at openside flanker while the returning Ted Hill replaces Matti Williams at blindside.
Hill made his England debut as a 74th minute replacement in their win over Japan at Twickenham last Saturday.
The 19-year-old trained with England again on Monday and Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s match against Australia before being released back to Warriors.
The third change to the side that played at Bath is in the second row where Pierce Phillips will partner Anton Bresler with Darren Barry dropped to the bench.
Warriors are again missing centre Ben Te’o, wing Josh Adams and hooker Joe Taufete’e who are on international duty with England, Wales and USA respectively.
Academy product Cadam Murley will make his top-flight debut for Harlequins.
He is the only change in the back line from the team that beat Newcastle Falcons last week.
There are two changes in the forwards with Joe Marler and Max Crumpton returning to the front row.
Alex Dombrandt starts again in the back row while number eight James Chisholm leads the side.
James Horwill, the club’s co-captain, returns from injury and is named among the replacements.
Warriors: Pennell; Heem, Venter, Mills (C), Humphreys; Weir, Hougaard; Black, Singleton, Schonert, Bresler, Phillips, Hill, Lewis, Cox.
Replacements: Annett, Waller, Milasinovich, Barry, Williams, Heaney, Shillcock, Olivier.
Harlequins: Brown; Murley, Marchant, Tapuai, Earle; Smith, Mulchrone; Marler, Crumpton, Collier, Merrick, Symons, Dombrandt, Clifford, Chisholm.
Replacements: Ward, Boyce, Swainston, Horwill, White, Care, Lang, Saili.
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