Scott Williams will make his first competitive start since early January when the Ospreys welcome Glasgow Warriors to Swansea on Saturday (5.30pm).
The former Wales captain has endured nine months of torment with the back injury that left him with a loss of feeling in one of his legs at one point. He admitted recently it had been a “scary” time.
His last Guinness PRO14 outing was against the Dragons in Newport on January 4. After that encounter in Gwent, Williams' pain moved into another dimension. "I couldn't sit down for longer than five minutes, I couldn't stand up for more than five minutes. It's not nice to deal with but it's something you've got to accept as part of sport."
But the hugely respected 58-cap centre is fit again and looking to put the miseries of the past nine months firmly behind him as he lines up for the Ospreys in an important encounter they’ll be determined to win after defeat by Ulster in Swansea last time out.
Williams is not the only returning international.
James King is coming back after an even longer time off limits, with the back rower not having featured since an injury against Ulster on the opening night of last season.
Like Williams, he’s hoping the misery is well and truly behind him.
The 11-cap player lines up at No. 8 in a back row that also features Dan Lydiate and Olly Cracknell.
Reuben Morgan-Williams replaces Wales’ Rhys Webb at scrum-half, while up front Dewi Lake is given a chance to exorcise the line-out demons that blighted his effort against Ulster.
Further changes see Rhodri Jones and Ma’afu Fia come into the front row.
Ospreys: D.Evans; M. Protheroe, S. Williams, K. Williams; L. Morgan, S. Myler, R. Morgan-Williams; R. Jones, D. Lake, M. Fia, A. Beard, B. Davies, O. Cracknell, D. Lydiate (capt), J. King.
Replacements: S. Otten, G. Thomas, T. Botha, W. Griffiths, S. Cross, H. Morgan, J. Thomas, T. Thomas-Wheeler.
Glasgow Warriors: Huw Jones, Tommy Seymour, Nick Grigg, Sam Johnson, Ratu Tagive, Pete Horne, Jamie Dobie; Aki Seiuli, George Turner, D’arcy Rae, Hamish Bain, Richie Gray, Ryan Wilson (capt), Tom Gordon, TJ Ioane.
Replacements: Grant Stewart, Alex Allan, Enrique Pieretto, Fotu Lokotui, Chris Fusaro, Sean Kennedy, Brandon Thomson, Niko Matawalu
