Covid and illness in the Warriors camp has forced the side to ring the changes as they travel to Kingsholm for the derby with Gloucester on Friday (kick-off 7:45pm).

Loosehead prop Lewis Holsey, 21, will make his first start for the club, one of three changes to the side that beat Exeter in Worcester’s last Premiership outing a fortnight ago.

Holsey enjoyed a loan spell at Championship side Hartpury earlier in the season and has made five appearances off the bench so far for Warriors.

Will Chudley is one of the other changes, taking the place of Willi Heinz who has returned to New Zealand since starting against Exeter.

Kyle Hatherell rounds out the changes, having recovered from a shoulder injury sustained at Sale Sharks six weeks ago, as he slots into the back-row at blindside flanker.

Academy loosehead prop Ben Murphy makes the bench.

His only senior appearance so far came as a replacement tighthead in the Premiership Rugby Cup victory over Gloucester in December.

Meanwhile Caleb Montgomery is set for his first Premiership appearance of the season.

Having been recalled from a loan spell with Cornish Pirates, Montgomery made his seasonal debut for Worcester in the cup last weekend.

Also among the bench is Gareth Simpson, who has recovered from illness, and Ethan Waller as replacement loosehead prop.

Worcester Warriors 

Starters | 15 Noah Heward, 14 Alex Hearle, 13 Oli Morris, 12 Ashley Beck, 11 Perry Humphreys, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Will Chudley, 1 Lewis Holsey, 2 Niall Annett, 3 Christian Judge, 4 Joe Batley, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Kyle Hatherell, 7 Ted Hill (C), 8 Sione Vailanu

Replacements | 16 Isaac Miller, 17 Ben Murphy, 18 Murray McCallum, 19 Caleb Montgomery, 20 Jack Forsythe, 21 Gareth Simpson, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Seb Atkinson

Gloucester Rugby

Starters | 15 Kyle Moyle, 14 Santiago Carreras, 13 Chris Harris, 12 Mark Atkinson, 11 Ollie Thorley, 10 Adam Hastings, 9 Ben Meehan, 1 Val Rapava-Ruskin, 2 Santiago Socino, 3 Fraser Balmain, 4 Freddie Clarke, 5 Matias Alemanno, 6 Jordy Reid, 7 Lewis Ludlow (C), 8 Ruan Ackermann

Replacements | 16 Henry Walker, 17 Jamal Ford-Robinson, 18 Bryan O’Connor, 19 Andrew Davidson, 20 Ben Morgan, 21 Charlie Chapman, 22 Billy Twelvetrees, 23 Louis Rees-Zammit