WARRIORS club captain GJ van Velze is set to make his 100th appearance against Wasps in Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Sixways (3pm).

Number eight van Velze joined Warriors from Northampton Saints in the summer of 2014 and helped the club win the Greene King IPA Championship to clinch an immediate return to the top flight in his first season.

Van Velze missed almost all of the 2016/17 campaign because of a serious concussion injury but made a successful return to action and is expected to come off the bench to make his 100th appearance against Wasps.

He will become only the 25th Warriors player to reach the 100-appearance landmark but the third in as many months following centre Ryan Mills and loosehead prop Ryan Bower who joined Warriors at the same time.

Cornell du Preez, who trained with Scotland’s Guinness Six Nations squad earlier in the week, will start at number eight with Marco Mama switching from openside to blindside flanker to replace Ted Hill who is on England’s Six Nations training camp in Portugal.

Sam Lewis returns at openside having recovered from a facial injury sustained at Saracens three weeks ago and fit-again Tom Howe comes into the starting XV.

Former Scotland under 20s back row Tom Dodd, who signed his first senior contract earlier this week, is in line to make his Premiership debut off the bench.

Jack Willis will make his 50th appearance for Wasps with the flanker one of six changes to the starting line-up as he links up with Nizaam Carr and fit-again Thomas Young in the back row.

James Gaskell has recovered from a shoulder injury to start in the second row for the first time since November alongside recent Wales call-up Will Rowlands.

Joe Launchbury is unavailable due to England duty.

In the front row, tighthead prop Kieran Brookes has overcome illness to join Simon McIntyre and Tommy Taylor.

Billy Searle, who is to join Worcester after the end of the season, starts at stand-off in the absence of Jacob Umaga on England duty and Lima Sopoaga who has a calf knock.

Jimmy Gopperth is joined by Juan de Jongh in the centres after the Springbok shook off an ankle injury to make his first Premiership start since November while Malakai Fekitoa misses out with a knee injury.

Josh Bassett makes his first Premiership start since October in a back three that includes Zach Kibirige and Italy international Matteo Minozzi with Marcus Watson absent due to an Achilles strain.

In the replacements, Ben Harris returns after a shoulder injury while former Warriors prop Biyi Alo could be in line for his first Premiership appearance of the season for the club with Jeff Toomaga-Allen missing out through concussion.

Wasps look to continue their recent attacking threat in the league which has seen them pick up try bonus points in each of the last two outings.

Director of rugby Dai Young said: “If you look at the next block of games it will have a big determining factor on where you end up at the end of the season.

“Going to Worcester is never an easy game. They are a quality team who have built over the last couple of seasons.

“This is probably the best team they’ve had for a couple of seasons and they’ve shown that this season with some of their performances and results.

“We know we’re going to have to be somewhere near our best and it’s something we’re looking forward to as we want to put the wrongs of last week right. We want to start climbing the table.”

Warriors: Shillcock; Humphreys, Lawrence, Beck, Howe; Weir, Heaney; Waller, Moulds, Schonert, Bresler, G Kitchener, Mama, Lewis, du Preez. Replacements: Taufete’e, Bower, Palframan, van Velze, Dodd, Kitto, Lance, Venter.

Not considered because of injury: Annett, Black, Clegg, Carey, Fatialofa, Fidow, Hammond, Hearle, Hougaard, A Kitchener, Mills, J Morris, O Morris, Mudariki, Nanai.

Wasps: Minozzi; Kibirige, de Jongh, Gopperth, Bassett; Searle, Robson; McIntyre, Taylor, Brookes, Rowlands, Gaskell, Willis, Young, Carr. Replacements: Oghre, Harris, Alo, Flament, Vailanu, Wolstenholme, Le Bourgeois, Miller.