Sale Sharks will be without second row Iain Fullarton when they take on NEC Harlequins in the final Zurich Premiership game of the season at Heywood Road on Sunday afternoon.

Coach Jim Mallinder said: "Iain took a bang on the leg in the game against Leeds Tykes on Wednesday evening and we have decided not to risk him because we are not short of cover in that position.

"Scott Lines came back from injury to prove his fitness in the second row on Wednesday, Italian international Mark Giacheri is available and, of course, young Chris Jones has played very well there for us in recent weeks.

"Because the boys suffered bumps and bruises in the game against Leeds, we won't name our side until Sunday but we have named a 22-strong squad that is the same as for Wednesday except that Mark Giacheri comes in for Iain.

"We are expecting another hard game and that will be our third in just eight days. Harlequins will arrive fresh and relaxed now that the threat of relegation has gone away. They are capable of playing very good rugby and beat us at Heywood Road earlier in the season when we met in the Powergen Cup.

"They also have some great individuals in players like Keith Wood, Jason Leonard and Will Greenwood."

He said that although his players had just had two hard games they would be going all out for victory.

"We moved into second spot on Wednesday and would like to stay as runners-up to Leicester Tigers. That would be some achievement."

SQUAD:
Jason Robinson, Mark Cueto, Jos Baxendell, Martin Shaw, Mel Deane, Anthony Elliott, Charlie Hodgson, Bryan Redpath, Alan Dickens, Kevin Yates, Adam Black, Barrie Stewart, Andy Titterrell, Charl Marais, Mark Giacheri, Chris Jones, Scott Lines, Richard Wilks, Apollo Perelini, Alex Sanderson, Stuart Pinkerton, Pete
Anglesea,