Cardiff are dealing with an injury crisis in just the third week of the season as they prepare to welcome the Lions to the Arms Park on Friday night.
Director of Rugby Dai Young is down to the bare bones in the back three department following a plethora of early-season injuries. Full-backs Liam Williams (shoulder) and Matthew Morgan (knee) are out of action and exciting young prospect Jacob Beetham is absent with a long-term knee issue. It means usual fly-half Rhys Priestland is wearing the No.15 jersey this weekend.
Out wide, Young has had good fortune of sorts with electric speedster Theo Cabango recovering from a shoulder injury that has kept him out of the first two rounds in time to make Friday's showdown. Aled Summerhill takes his place on the other wing, while other options are all sidelined.
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Josh Adams has a groin issue, Owen Lane is battling an ankle problem. Jason Harries missed the defeat to Glasgow with a concussion.
Elsewhere, there is a first start for summer signing Lopeti Timani, who partners Seb Davies in the second row this time around. They'll pack down behind a front row of Brad Thyer, Liam Belcher and Dillon Lewis. Wales loose-head Rhys Carre is sidelined until October with a leg injury.
The back-row sees Taulupe Faletau return after being rested last weekend, with James Botham and captain Josh Turnbull on the flanks.
Looking ahead to the match, Young said: “We’re looking forward to getting back to the Arms Park. We didn’t build on the Munster game last week so hopefully we can bounce back at home against a very good Lions team.
“It’s going to be a real good game with lots of rugby to be played by both teams. It should be a lot of entertainment for the people that come to watch. We love playing at the Arms Park and want to give our home crowd the kind of performance they deserve.
“We have made a few changes due to injury but we have still have a strong squad and if we can get back to the kind of performance we saw against Munster and build on that, there is no reason why we can’t get the result we want.”
Cardiff Rugby: Rhys Priestland; Aled Summerhill, Rey Lee-Lo, Max Llewellyn, Theo Cabango; Jarrod Evans, Tomos Williams; Brad Thyer, Liam Belcher, Dillon Lewis; Lopeti Timani, Seb Davies; Josh Turnbull (C), James Botham, Taulupe Faletau.
Reps: Kirby Myhill, Corey Domachowski, Dmitri Arhip, Rory Thornton, Shane Lewis-Hughes, Lloyd Williams, Mason Grady, Uilisi Halaholo.
Lions: Andries Coetzee; Edwill van der Merwe, Henco van Wyk, Marius Louw, Quan Horn; Gianni Lombard, Sanele Nohamba; Sti Sithole, PJ Botha, Ruan Dreyer; Pieter Jansen van Vuren, Reinhard Nothnagel (C); Sibusiso Sangweni, Emmanuel Tshituka, Francke Horn.
Reps: Jaco Visagie, JP Smith, Ruan Smith, Ruan Venter, Ruhan Straeuli, Morne van dern Berg, Jordan Hendrickse, Zander du Plessis.
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