Alun Wyn Jones could make his first Guinness PRO14 appearance of the season for the Ospreys this weekend.
The Wales skipper hasn’t figured in a league match since lining up against the Scarlets in Swansea 15 months ago, with the 34-year-old operating to a customised playing and training regime.
But he has been training with the Ospreys squad this summer and is likely to play against the Dragons at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday.
Justin Tipuric is also poised to be involved.
Like Jones, Tipuric has seen his regional appearances rationed out in a World Cup season, with the openside having played just three times in the league so far this term.
But the Ospreys are keen to start a fresh era under new coach Toby Booth on the right note and so are likely to field a strong selection.
The Swansea-based team have won just two out of 18 games played in all competitions in 2019-20 but Booth used his maiden press conference with the region last week to draw a line under that miserable run, saying: "We don't talk about the past."
With Jamie Roberts having tested positive for coronavirus, the Dragons will await fresh test results on the rest of their squad amid uncertainty over whether the match will actually go ahead, though on Wednesday morning the east Wales region were reported to be optimistic it could take place as planned.
If the game is given the all-clear, Scott Williams (back) and Keelan Giles (knee) will be likely absentees for the Ospreys as they continue to recover from long-term injuries.
Gareth Anscome (knee) is also unavailable.
