Johnston Set for Coventry Return

Ex-England international Ben Johnston will make a return to action when the Green & Whites face Coventry on Saturday (3pm).

Johnston, 31, was sidelined in Nottingham's 39-nil drubbing of the Birmingham and Solihull Bees last month with a wrist injury.

The influential centre will start on the replacements bench but will be targeting a starting spot in next weekend's vital play-off clash against Exeter Chiefs.

He said: "I'm really pleased to get back before the play-off campaign starts next week. This is a dress rehearsal for us and it will be good for me to get a bit of match practice.

"The nature of my injury means that I have been able to keep my fitness up while I've not been able to play, but it's obviously not the same as playing week-in-week-out.

"Next weekend's game against Exeter will be absolutely key for us. If we can get off to a winning start then the sky could really be the limit.

"A win against Coventry would set us up very well going into that game and we can start to build the momentum necessary for a good performance."

Director of Rugby Glenn Delaney has rigged a number of changes going into tomorrow's match from the side that faced Bristol on Sunday.

Petrus Du Plessis will sit it out after leaving the field with a knee injury last weekend, promoting Ben Buxton to the starting line-up.

Dan Hemingway moves into the second row, making way for the return of captain Craig Hammond.

Donald Blake returns to the squad while Jack Cobden moves to outside centre.

David Jackson drops to the bench while on-form Tim Streather moves to the full back spot.

Nottingham:

Parr, Youngs, Buxton, Rouse, Hemingway, Hammond, Sherriff, Eggleshaw; White, Tonks, Blake, Marshall, Cobden, Savage, Streather

Replacements:

Sammons, Fowkes, Raven, Everard, Barnard, Johnston, Jackson