Gloucester keep faith with the majority of the side that faced Northampton Saints last weekend, with Leicester Tigers the visitors to Kingsholm in Gallagher Premiership Rugby action on Friday evening. Fly-half Danny Cipriani returns after suspension.

Cipriani is back in the number 10 shirt with Mark Atkinson moving back into midfield, in the only change to the starting line-up. In the replacements, Ben Morgan returns to the matchday 23.

It’s fourth against fifth as the Premiership returns after a five-week break and Gloucester head coach Johan Ackermann knows that it’s a significant game.

“We let ourselves down here in our last Premiership game against Harlequins, and we fixed it in some sense away at Wasps,” he said.

“But Leicester bring a different challenge, the intensity will be up there and there’s obviously a lot to play for. We just have to stay true to our colours and to the standards that we want to play at.

“If you can win your home games, it helps tremendously. So there’s a lot of work to be done this weekend. We want to make Kingsholm a tough place to come to. We need the crowd, I think they’re the best supporters in the country and we need them in full force, to make it noisy and help lift the boys. It’s going to be exciting.”

Meanwhile Sione Kalamafoni is back in the Leicester line-up to face his former club.

The Tonga international returns for the resumption of the Premiership programme, joining Mike Williams and Guy Thompson in the Tigers back row.

Dan Cole is back in the front row alongside Greg Bateman and club captain Tom Youngs, while Ben White and Joe Ford team up at half-back in the only changes to the backline from the Premiership Rugby Cup tie with Sale Sharks last weekend.

The replacements include Argentina international duo Facundo Gigena and Gaston Cortes, plus Will Spencer and Mike Fitzgerald, while Matt Smith has recovered from a foot injury and takes his place in the squad.

Geordan Murphy, Tigers’ interim head coach, said: “The cup games came at a good time for us to rotate selection and give some opportunities through the squad. Some of the younger guys had a run of games and they will have learned from that.

“We’re starting to get a few bodies back in the squad from injury, though we’ve now got players away with England, Wales, Tonga and Fiji so it is a test for the squad.

“Gloucester are a very good side, they’re going well and we know they will want to get stuck into us. But we’re going there looking for a big performance from the team.”

Gloucester: 15. Jason Woodward; 14. Matt Banahan, 13. Billy Twelvetrees, 12. Mark Atkinson, 11. Ollie Thorley; 10. Danny Cipriani, 9. Willi Heinz; 1. Josh Hohneck, 2. James Hanson, 3. Fraser Balmain; 4. Tom Savage, 5. Ed Slater (capt); 6. Gareth Evans, 7. Jaco Kriel, 8, Freddie Clarke. Replacements: 16. Henry Walker, 17. Val Rapava Ruskin, 18. Ciaran Knight, 19. Gerbrandt Grobler, 20. Ben Morgan, 21. Callum Braley, 22. Henry Trinder, 23. Tom Hudson.

Unavailable for selection: Ruan Ackermann, Gareth Denman, Ruan Dreyer, Lloyd Evans, Lewis Ludlow, Franco Marais, Tom Marshall, Paddy McAllister, Jake Polledri, Will Safe, Charlie Sharples, Ben Vellacott, Owen Williams

Leicester Tigers: 15 George Worth; 14 Adam Thompstone, 13 Gareth Owen, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Jordan Olowofela; 10 Joe Ford, 9 Ben White; 1 Greg Bateman, 2 Tom Youngs (capt), 3 Dan Cole, 4 Harry Wells, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Mike Williams, 7 Guy Thompson, 8 Sione Kalamafoni. Replacements: 16 Jake Kerr, 17 Facundo Gigena, 18 Gaston Cortes, 19 Will Spencer, 20 Mike Fitzgerald, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Tom Hardwick, 23 Matt Smith.