Saracens have named England fly-half Owen Farrell on the bench for their Champions Cup semi-final against Clermont.
Farrell returns to the Saracens' match-day 23 for the first time since he suffered a knee injury three months ago.
Saracens, looking to make the final for a second year in a row, will be without captain Alastair Hargreaves and Jim Hamilton replaces him in the second row while centre Brad Barritt takes over captaincy duties. There is also a start in the back-row for exciting prospect Maro Itoje.
Flanker Jacques Burger – who terrorised Clermont in last year’s semi-final with some ferocious tackling – is back from suspension.
Saracens may have strolled to a record 46-6 win over Clermont in last year’s semi-final, but Saracens boss Mark McCall is under no illusion at the task that awaits them at the 41,000 sold-out, Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
"It's going to be a tough game for us, we understand that," rugby director McCall said.
"But we are going to try to make life very difficult for them and put them under some pressure. As a club, we admire them (Clermont) as much as anybody because they keep coming back for more.
"We always say we just want to give ourselves a chance of winning every competition, and they do that year in, year out. They respond to big setbacks remarkably well.
"They reinvent themselves, too. There is a different dynamic to their team this year to Vern Cotter's team - which was an outstanding team as well.
"Franck Azema (Cotter's successor as head coach) seems to have added something a little bit different in terms of their attack and defensively they are much more robust than they've ever been. They are a very good team."
Clermont welcome back their big guns after their surprise home loss to Oyonnax in the Top 14.
Having been rested after their demolition of Northampton in the quarter-finals, Wesley Fofana, Julien Bonnaire, Nick Abendanon, Napolioni Nalaga and Brock James all return to the starting line-up.
Clermont are bidding to book a second European final appearance in three seasons, but they have yet to conquer the competition and land silverware.
"It's now or never," said Clermont's 36-year-old former France international flanker Julien Bonnaire.
"I would like the colours of Clermont to hang from the trophy this season and to win it with my friends. The more we advance in a career, the less opportunities there are."
Clermont: 15 Nick Abendanon, 14 Noa Nakaitaci, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Wesley Fofana, 11 Naipolioni Nalaga, 10 Brock James, 9 Ludovic Radoslavjevic; 1 Vincent Debaty, 2 Benjamin Kayser, 3 Davit Zirakashvili, 4 Jamie Cudmore, 5 Sébastien Vahaamahina, 6 Julien Bonnaire, 7 Julien Bardy, 8 Damien Chouly (c).
Replacements: 16 John Ulugia, 17 Raphael Chaume, 18 Clément Ric, 19 Julien Pierre, 20 Alexandre Lapandry, 21 Morgan Parra, 22 Camille Lopez, 23 Aurélien Rougerie.
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Brad Barritt (c), 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Richard Wigglesworth; 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Jamie George, 3 Petrus du Plessis, 4 George Kruis, 5 Jim Hamilton, 6 Maro Itoje, 7 Jacques Burger, 8 Billy Vunipola.
Replacements: 16 Schalk Brits, 17 Rhys Gill, 18 James Johnston, 19 Kelly Brown, 20 Jackson Wray, 21 Neil de Kock, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 David Strettle.
