Gloucester make four changes to their starting line-up for Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership clash with Worcester Warriors at Kingsholm (kick-off 3pm).

The one change in the back line sees Owen Williams start his first Premiership game of the season as he partners Billy Twelvetrees in the Gloucester midfield.

Up front, Josh Hohneck and James Hanson come into the front row at loosehead and hooker respectively, while Jaco Kriel returns at openside flanker.

And among the replacements, named in a Gloucester matchday squad for the first time is Springbok second row Franco Mostert, now available for selection having completed his international duties with South Africa.

The Cherry and Whites are looking to get back to winning ways after last Saturday’s defeat at Exeter, but head coach Johan Ackermann admitted this week that the Warriors will be no pushovers.

“Worcester is going to be a massive challenge, they’re a quality side and are well coached and are going to test us on all fronts,” Ackermann said.

“They’re defensively very strong, they have big forwards and quite an explosive back line – they’ll be a big challenge. While I feel that we’ve made Kingsholm a tough place to come to in the past 12 or 14 months, we didn’t play our best game here last season against them.

“That was a big fight and we expect nothing less this weekend. They haven’t been beaten badly in any game, because of the quality of their team and the fight that they put up. They will have taken confidence from their result last weekend and travel won’t be a factor. It’ll be tough.”

Warriors, meanwhile, welcome back Wales winger Josh Adams and captain GJ van Velze.

Adams returns to club duty after impressing for Wales in their recent Autumn internationals against Australia and South Africa.

Number eight van Velze missed last Friday’s victory over Harlequins at Sixways due to injury, but he has regained fitness and will take his place in the middle of the back row at Kingsholm.

Warriors have been forced to make two more changes to their starting XV with scrum-half Francois Hougaard and openside flanker Sam Lewis both ruled out by injuries.

Michael Heaney, a summer signing from Doncaster Knights, will make his first Premiership start in Hougaard’s absence with Matti Williams, who started at Bath two weeks ago, returning to the back row in place of Lewis.

Gloucester: 15. Jason Woodward; 14. Charlie Sharples, 13. Billy Twelvetrees, 12. Owen Williams, 11. Ollie Thorley; 10. Danny Cipriani, 9. Willi Heinz (capt); 1. Josh Hohneck, 2. James Hanson, 3. Fraser Balmain; 4. Tom Savage, 5. Ed Slater; 6. Freddie Clarke, 7. Jaco Kriel, 8. Ben Morgan. Replacements: 16. Jaco Visagie, 17. Val Rapava Ruskin, 18. Ciaran Knight, 19. Franco Mostert, 20. Jake Polledri, 21. Callum Braley, 22. Henry Trinder, 23. Tom Hudson. Unavailable for selection: Ruan Ackermann, Mark Atkinson, Gareth Denman, Ruan Dreyer, Lewis Ludlow, Franco Marais, Tom Marshall, Paddy McAllister, Will Safe.

Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell; 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Francois Venter, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Josh Adams; 10 Duncan Weir, 9 Michael Heaney; 1 Callum Black, 2 Jack Singleton, 3 Nick Schonert, 4 Anton Bresler, 5 Pierce Phillips, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Matti Williams, 8 GJ van Velze (capt). Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Ethan Waller, 18 Gareth Milasinovich, 19 Darren Barry, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Jonny Arr, 22 Jamie Shillcock, 23 Wynand Olivier.