Sebastien Chabal returns to bolster the Sale pack for the visit of Harlequins © Getty Images

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Matches: Sale Sharks 28 - 6 Harlequins

Players/Officials: Sebastien Chabal

Tournaments/Tours: Guinness Premiership

Teams: England | Harlequins | Sale Sharks

Sale host Dean Richards' Harlequins at Edgeley Park on Friday night, with the game looking certain to play a significant role in determining the identities of the Guinness Premiership play-off contenders.

With a win for Harlequins looking almost certain to confirm their place in the top four it's up to them to bounce back from their disappointment at exiting the Heineken Cup at the hands of Leinster at the Stoop last weekend. As well as damaged pride, Quins have to contend with injury problems after a bruising encounter.

Both Nick Evans and Chris Malone are out, meaning that Waisea Luveniyali starts at fly-half for the first time in the Premiership. He partners Andy Gomarsall at halfback, with Danny Care taking a place on the bench, while De Wet Barry replaces Jordan Turner-Hall in the No.12 jersey. Tom Williams starts at fullback in the absence of Mike Brown and Ugo Monye and David Strettle man the wings.

Sale's chance of a top four spot is hanging by the tiniest of threads, theire recent defeat against Leicester proving potentially terminal for their hopes. The Sharks are currently five points off the playoffs in sixth place and realistically anything but a bonus-point win against Quins will spell the end of their hopes.

Director of rugby Kingsley Jones has been able to recall Sebastien Chabal into a heavyweight pack, the French international starting in the second-row alongside Dean Schofield. In the back-row, skipper Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe is joined by the Clermont-bound Jason White and Neil Briggs. Dwayne Peel will be looking to press his British and Irish Lions claims in his final outing before the squad is announced on Tuesday, the Welsh scrum-half starting alongside Charlie Hodgson at halfback.

"This is a game we have to win to give us any chance at all of finishing in the top four," said Jones. "We have two games to go, both at home and we will be going out to try and finish the regular season on a high. Harlequins were unlucky not to win last weekend in the Heineken Cup against Leinster and I am sure they will travel north looking to bounce back from that defeat."

Sale: Nick Macleod, David Doherty, Mathew Tait, Andy Tuiagi, Oriol Ripol, Charlie Hodgson, Dwayne Peel, Andrew Sheridan, Sebastien Bruno, Eifion Roberts, Sebastien Chabal, Dean Schofield, Jason White, Neil Briggs, JM Fernandez Lobbe (Captain)

Replacements: Stuart Turner, Lionel Faure, Chris Jones, David Tait, Richard Wigglesworth, Rudi Keil, Selorm Kuadey

Harlequins: Tom Williams; David Strettle, Gonzalo Tiesi, De Wet Barry, Ugo Monye; Waisea Luveniyali, Andy Gomarsall; Ceri Jones, Gary Botha, Mike Ross, James Percival, George Robson, Chris Robshaw, Will Skinner (capt), Nick Easter

Replacements: Tani Fuga, Mark Lambert, Jim Evans, Tom Guest, Danny Care, Seb Stegman, Jordan Turner-Hall