DARYL Mitchell will return to LV= County Championship action and lead the side in their vital Division One relegation clash against Somerset at Taunton, starting today (11am).

Third-from-bottom Worcestershire are just two points above the dropzone but defeated Somerset earlier in the campaign.

Somerset are one place above Worcestershire in the table but have played one fewer game and are eight points better off.

Mitchell was forced to sit out the County’s previous four-day encounter against Nottinghamshire at New Road, while he recovered from a hamstring injury.

It was the first Championship game the 31-year-old had missed in four-and-a-half years spanning 68 LV= County Championship matches.

Mitchell comes back into the side in place of batsman Richard Oliver, with Brett D’Oliveira looking set to continue as opener.

Alex Gidman, who returned to the side as skipper in place of Mitchell against Notts, retains his place after an impressive innings of 71.

Mitchell said:“I found it incredibly frustrating not being able to contribute to the team performance against Nottinghamshire.

I watched every ball bowled during the whole four days.

“It was not easy not being able to have an immediate impact on it but the lads played pretty well — there wasn’t much which went wrong.”

Mitchell said: “Somerset have pulled a little bit away from the relegation dogfight but if we can beat them it would bring them right back into it.

“Taunton is a good place to bat and I am sure it will be a good game of cricket and, hopefully, we can perform well.

“We beat them at New Road and there’s no reason why we can’t go away and do it again.”

Joe Leach, Jack Shantry and Charlie Morris have recharged their batteries and return after taking 50, 47 and 42 LV= County Championship wickets respectively.

Leach said: “It’s about managing ourselves these last four games.

“We need to throw everything at them so we need to make sure we are doing the right things to make sure we are prepared to throw everything at those games. It’s a good challenge but certainly one we are up for.”

Mitchell said: “There are still four games to go and that’s a quarter of the season so a lot of cricket still to be played and lots of points up for grabs.

“We have to concentrate on what we do and perform well on all the days. It’s very tight after Hampshire beat Warwickshire and that didn’t do us any favours. Sussex lost to Middlesex which was a bonus for us and there are three of us very tightly packed at the bottom with Somerset just in front.”

Worcestershire will select their team from: Mitchell, D’Oliveira, Fell, Clarke, Gidman, Whiteley, Cox, Leach, Shantry, Ajmal, Morris, Barnard.