DUNCAN Roke will miss out on a playing return at his former club as Worcester travel to European champions Leicester Tigers.

Sixways' top scorer has broken a finger and is denied a visit to Welford Road where he began his rugby career.

Hugo Southwell takes his place at 15 in Saturday's Powergen Cup sixth round clash (3pm) while Mark Gabey is suspended. Jim Jenner takes over at number eight while there is a place on the bench for Will Wigram who was signed from Wasps this week.

Welford Road holds happy memories for coaches John Brain and Andy Keast who have both tasted victory at the fortress.

Director of rugby Brain was in the last Gloucester side to win there and scored a try in the victory while Keast led Harlequins to victory five years ago.

"I remember it quite well because I didn't score that many tries!" quipped Brain.

"It holds happy memories for me and, despite it being a fortress for Leicester in recent years, I think if you held a poll of rugby players about their favourite away ground, it would be Welford Road.

"You are guaranteed a good atmosphere, they have good facilities and a good playing surface. It is always an occasion when you go there."

"The game is one we can tell the players to go out and enjoy," added Keast. "There is no pressure on us. It is a game we are expected to lose and all the pressure is on Leicester. There is also no pressure for us about bonus points either so we will enjoy the day.

"Our priority is to win the league and gain promotion and we do not take our focus off that. The cup has been useful this season because it has enabled us to look at different players and combinations but we've always known that the league campaign was the important one for us."

Keast held his first training sessions this week with new boy Wigram and he is hoping to give him some game-time at Leicester.

"It's hard for players that come in to absorb all the information. We've told him so much that his brain must be going in a spin. But he's stuck at it and hopefully we can have a look at him on Saturday."

Worcester: Southwell; Ezulike, Hinshelwood, Ogilvie-Bull, Garrard, Walsh, Swanepoel; Windo, Hall, Olver, Zaltzman, Morgan, Bates, Nias, Jenner. Replacements: O'Reilly, Chalmers, Wigram, Pearl, Pfister, N. Mason, Lyman.