MATT Powell has been handed the Warriors captaincy for the club's crucial Guinness Premiership clash at Sale tomorrow night after Pat Sanderson was ruled out with a broken hand.

Sanderson suffered the injury in Saturday's win against Bath. He will have a second X-ray on Tuesday when the plaster cast is taken off and hopes to return for the Newcastle game on Friday week.

Scrum-half Powell will be assisted at Edgeley Park by "defensive captain" Dale Rasmussen, who has put pen to paper on a deal that will keep him at Sixways until 2010.

Director of rugby John Brain said: "Pat will be at the game and with the team but Matt has got a pretty good idea in any given game what the team needs to do and he is in a key position to influence what the team needs to do so I think it is natural that he's got the captaincy.

"But there are other leaders in the 22. Dale is effectively our defensive captain and Tony Windo will be in the 22. So there is a fair bit of experience to take the pressure off Matt."

Tom Harding replaces Sanderson on the open-side flank. Kicking duo James Brown (concussion) and Shane Drahm (hamstring) train today and should be fit along with hooker Chris Fortey (shoulder).

But lock Tim Collier has been ruled out after damaging his calf in training and Gary Trueman will be rested in the hope of overcoming a recurrent groin problem.

"Gary has had some surgery on his groin and has really struggled in the latter part of games and struggled to train during the week," said Brain.

"We want to try and break this cycle and I wasn't prepared to go into this game with three backs that have fitness doubts.

"Gary will rest up this week and hopefully he will be able to train properly and be available for the Newcastle game."

Rasmussen has been an outstanding performer in a troubled season for Worcester and the centre's decision to sign a long-term contract has delighted Brain.

"It is a massive boost," he said. "Dale has been a key player for us in the Premiership in our three seasons. The team has not performed well but Dale has bucked that trend. Individually he has had a good season."