CHRIS Horsman is set to make his long-awaited return to the gold n' blue of the Warriors in Saturday's Guinness Premiership clash at Bristol (3pm).
The tight-head has suffered terrible luck with injuries over the past two seasons but is in line for a place on the replacements bench at the Memorial Stadium.
The Welsh international front-row missed the early part of the current campaign as he was on World Cup duty and then tore a bicep in his first game back for the Warriors at Leeds.
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After several months on the sidelines, the prop was ready to return last month but was found to have a bone spur on his ankle which needed to be operated on. However, director of rugby Mike Ruddock is cautiously optimistic Horsman will be ready for Saturday.
He said: "It is looking positive with Chris and we are hoping to have him in the panel - probably coming off the bench.
"He was fantastic when he played at Bridgend and the Celtic Warriors, before turning a few heads when he came here.
"He has proven that he can play consistently well at the highest level and is one of the top tight-heads in Europe.
"Personally, I don't think he should tour South Africa with Wales this summer - I don't think he's played enough rugby.
"If Warren Gatland wanted to call him into the squad, though, we'd respect that. Chris and I have already spoken about that and he agrees that the right course of action would be to rest over the summer and concentrate on being fully fit for the start of next year."
Meanwhile, talented fly-half Joey Carlisle will be handed his first Warriors start against Bristol.
Ruddock added: "Regardless of how Joey does on Saturday, I've seen the kind of skills in A' games and training that I believe will make him a top-class fly-half in the coming years.
"His passing skills are some of the best I've ever seen and his decision-making is good too. He just needs to transfer that onto the Guinness Premiership stage and, if he can do that, he has a massive future.
"We've signed him on for three years and I think, during that period, he'll emerge as a top class 10."
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