Former England fly half Olly Barkley returns to action as London Welsh’s injury crisis shows the first signs of easing.

Justin Burnell’s side have been hit hard by unavailability this season, but with Barkley back in the side and New Zealand scrum half Piri Weepu named among the replacements, there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

Welsh make 12 changes, including two positional, for tomorrow’s European Challenge Cup fixture with Edinburgh at the Kassam Stadium (2.30pm).

Elliot Kear, Carl Kirwan, Eddie Aholelei, Alan Awcock and Chris Elder are the only survivors from the starting line up which lost 25-13 to Edinburgh last Sunday at Murrayfield.

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Barkley is back in the side at fly half and forms a new half-back pairing with Rob Lewis, with Weepu waiting in the wings for a return to action.

Elder moves from the left to right wing, with Nick Scott named at No 11.

Team captain Tom May returns at inside centre, a move which sees Alan Awock move to the No 13 jersey.

In the forwards, Nathan Morris comes in at hooker and Taine Vea at tight head.

Dean Schofield and James Down are named in the second row, while it’s all change in the back row as Peter Browne and Lachlan McCaffrey return.

TOMORROW’S LINE-UPS

London Welsh: Kear, Elder, Awcock, May (capt), N Scott, Barkley, R Lewis, Aholelei, Morris, Vea, Schofield, Down, P Browne, Kirwan, McCaffrey. Reps: Vella, Reeves, Cooper, Corker, Pienaar, Rowley, Weepu, Reynolds.

Edinburgh: Cuthbert, Fife, M Scott, Strauss, Visser, Tonks, Hidalgo-Clyne, Sutherland, Cochrane, Andress, Breslier, Toolis, Leonardi, Grant, Cman (capt). Reps: Hilterbrand, Shiells, Nel, McKenzie, McInally, Hart, Heathcote, Beard.

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