Wasps expect to have England flanker Joe Worsley back for their biggest match of the season, the visit of champions Leicester to High Wycombe on Friday.

The tough-tackling Worsley has been out for more than two months with hamstring trouble but should get the green light to make a timely comeback, probably from the bench, in front of a sell-out 10,000 crowd at Adams Park.

"It's a massive game, the biggest of the season," said Wasps coach Shaun Edwards. "Leicester are the European champions and they're still the premier team in British rugby.

"They're very hard to crack defensively and they've got an outstanding pack of forwards."

Wasps have won just one of their last eight Premiership matches against Leicester but they went down only 9-6 at Welford Road last month and Tigers director of rugby Dean Richards is anticipating a tough test.

"Wasps are a very difficult side to play against," he said. "They're a good side and we always find them hard to beat."

Richards is expected to bring back a host of regulars who were rested for the Powergen Cup win over Worcester last Saturday, including Tim Stimpson and Geordan Murphy who are vying for the full-back role.

Murphy took the man-of-the-match award after deputising for Stimpson in the recent Heineken Cup win over Beziers to leave Richards with a difficult selection poser, not that he sees it that way.

"We don't see it as a dilemma," he said. "They are both capable players, whether they are playing at full-back or on the wing. I suppose it's something of a luxury."

While Leicester, still smarting at losing their unbeaten home league record, seek to avoid a hat-trick of Premiership defeats for the first time for more than five years, Wasps are seeking to capitalise on their recent win at high-flying Leeds.

The Londoners went four matches without a win until bursting the Tykes' bubble and, after closing to within a point of Leicester, Edwards says it is crucial for them to maintain their push for a Heineken Cup spot.

"We had a great start to the season but then suffered a bit of a mid-term hitch," he said. "It was a vital victory at Headingley because it put us back up with the leaders.

"It has been our goal all season to get into Europe and we do need to improve our position slightly. It's very tight at the moment, with a lot of teams on a similar number of points."