LOCK Anton Bresler will make his first Worcester Warriors appearance of the season in Saturday’s Premiership Cup match against Wasps at the Ricoh Arena (3pm).

Bresler was in line to play at Bath two weeks ago but suffered an ankle injury in training which ruled him out of that match and last week’s cup tie against Exeter Chiefs.

The 31-year-old has now regained fitness and will partner Andrew Kitchener in the second row, which is Warriors’ fourth different combination of locks in as many matches.

Scrum-half Jono Kitto is also set to make his first outing of the campaign having recovered from an abductor muscle injury.

Kitto last played for Warriors two years ago on a short-term loan deal from Leicester Tigers. He has returned to Sixways this season having been re-signed from Northland in his native New Zealand.

Warriors captain GJ van Velze, wing Perry Humphreys, centre Ryan Mills and loosehead prop Ethan Waller will have their first starts since the victory over Leicester Tigers on the opening day of the season three weeks ago.

Wing Tom Howe is named among the replacements against his former club having scored a hat-trick of tries against Exeter which took his tally to 20 in 29 first team appearances for Warriors in all competitions.

New Zealand World Cup-winner Malakai Fekitoa is set to make his Wasps debut.

Fekitoa will link up with Juan de Jongh in the Wasps midfield, while skipper Dan Robson returns to the starting line-up at scrum-half alongside stand-off Billy Searle, who makes his first start since February.

Josh Bassett and Marcus Watson are restored to the side, starting on the wings, with Rob Miller at full-back.

In the pack, Georgia international Zurabi Zhvania lines up next to Tom Cruse and Kieran Brookes in the front-row, with Tim Cardall partnering Charlie Matthews in the second-row.

England’s Brad Shields starts in the back-row alongside Jack Willis and Tonga international Sione Vailanu.

Fekitoa’s fellow All Black Lima Sopoaga is also set for his first appearance of the season, after recovering from injury to be named among the replacements.

Internationals Tommy Taylor, Jeff Toomaga-Allen and Nizaam Carr are also named on the Wasps bench.

Warriors: Pennell; Humphreys, Lawrence, Mills, Nanai; Weir, Hougaard; Waller, Annett, Carey, Bresler, Kitchener, Hill, Mama, van Velze (c).

Replacements: Mller, Black, Palframan, Kitchener, Lewis, Kitto, Lance, Howe.

Wasps: Miller; Watson, Fekitoa, de Jongh, Bassett; Searle, Robson (C); Zhvania, Cruse, Brookes, Cardall, Matthews, Shields, Willis, Vailanu.

Replacements: Taylor, Harris, Toomaga-Allen, Vukasinovic, Carr, Wolstenholme, Sopoaga, Le Bourgeois.