Gloucester v Agen: Ben Morgan returns for Cherry and Whites

Ben Morgan has made 95 appearances for Gloucester since 2012

Gloucester welcome back No. 8 Ben Morgan for their second European Rugby Challenge Cup match of the season at home to Agen, live on Sky Sports Action from 7.30pm on Thursday.

The 28-year-old has been out of action since the first game of the season due to a calf injury and is one of a number of new faces in the hosts' XV.

James Hanson and Ben Vellacott are set to make their first starts with Gareth Denman and Charlie Beckett in line to make their European debuts for the Cherry and Whites.

Before last Thursday's 27-21 loss to Pau, Gloucester had won 25 of their last 26 Challenge Cup games. As a side they are yet to win on the road this season. However at home the picture is a very different one.

The West Country outfit have been victorious in their last 13 home pool matches in the Challenge Cup and are unbeaten at Kingsholm in the Aviva Premiership this season.

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Highlights of Pau's 27-21 victory at home to Gloucester last week

The club's focus has been on preparing for every eventuality that Agen may throw at them on Thursday night.

"We're not sure which Agen side will turn up, everyone knows that French sides can be up and down. The most important thing for us as a coaching staff and group of players to look at the first 50 minutes in Pau which wasn't good enough, we have to improve," said their head coach Ackermann.

"We have to prepare for the unpredictable but the biggest focus has been on ourselves. Their win last week will give them confidence, it's an away game for them and they have nothing to lose. The last thing we should do is underestimate them."

Gloucester and Agen last met during the 2010/2011 Challenge Cup season

Agen have also decided to make a number of changes for this Round 2 fixture with just five of the players that started their bonus-point win over Zebre Rugby Club remaining in the XV.

Lucal Tolot and Hugo Verdu both retain their positions in the backline at wing and scrum-half respectively.

In the forward pack Corentin Braendlin stays in the second row while both Yoan Tanga and Kamaliele Tufele make positional switches.

Gloucester have won their last 13 home pool matches in the Challenge Cup

Tanga shifts within the back row unit from blindside to openside flanker while prop Tufele swaps from loosehead to tighthead .

The two clubs last met back in the 2010/11 pool stage and during that season both sides won their respective home matches against each other.

Gloucester: 15 Jason Woodward 14 Henry Purdy, 13 Henry Trinder, 12 Owen Williams, 11 David Halaifonua 10 Billy Burns, 9 Ben Vellacott 1 Josh Hohneck, 2 James Hanson, 3 Gareth Denman, 4 Tom Savage, 5 Charlie Beckett, 6 Jake Polledri, 7 Lewis Ludlow, 8 Ben Morgan.

Replacements: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Cameron Orr, 18 John Afoa, 19 Freddie Clarke, 20 Jacob Rowan, 21 Willi Heinz, 22 Billy Twelvetrees, 23 Callum Braley.

Agen: 15 Clément Laporte 14 Lucas Tolot, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Pierre Fouyssac, 11 Nicolas Metge 10 Mathieu Lamoulie, 9 Hugo Verdu 1 Kamaliele Tufele, 2 Paula Ngauamo, 3 Vakhtangi Akhobadze, 4 Denis Marchois, 5 Corentin Braendlin, 6 Yoan Tanga, 7 Marco Kotze, 8 Antoine Miquel.

Replacements: 16 Clément Martinez, 17 Fernandez Correa, 18 Corentin Chabeaudie, 19 Christiaan Van der Merwe, 20 Jessy Jegerlhener, 21 Florian Lanave, 22 Alban Conduche, 23 Jérémy Russell.

Watch Gloucester v Agen in the Challenge Cup on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action from 7.30pm.