THE FUSE

Wales prop Keiron Assiratti has returned from a calf injury to line up for Cardiff against Ospreys in the New Year's Day derby against Ospreys in Bridgend.

Assiratti is the only change to the match-day 23 that claimed a victory over Dragons on 26 December.

There are five alterations to the starting side with Assiratti, Danny Southworth, George Nott, Alun Lawrence and Johan Mulder coming in.

Ospreys have a scrum-half injury crisis with Luke Davies joining Reuben Morgan-Williams and Harri Williams on the sidelines.

This leaves Kieran Hardy as the only fit senior number nine remaining, with no specialist scrum-half cover on a replacements bench that includes six forwards.

With Dewi Lake named as a replacement, fellow Ospreys hooker Sam Parry and full-back Jack Walsh are named as co-captains.

United Rugby Championship: Ospreys v Cardiff

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Cardiff are flying the flag for Wales in the United Rugby Championship (URC) this season as they lie third, with Ospreys currently 12th.

The game between these two sides is taking place at a time when the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) planning to cut a men's professional side.

There are rumours that Ospreys owners, Y11 Sports and Media, are in talks to buy WRU-owned Cardiff, who went into administration briefly before being taken over by Welsh rugby's governing body.

The WRU announced in October it wants to reduce the number of teams to three, with licences to be granted in Cardiff, the west and east.

Negotiations have continued but the WRU has announced that a decision on how a team will be cut will now not happen before the end of the year.

It had seemed there would be a straight shootout between Scarlets and Ospreys for the west licence before this other proposal - of Y11 taking over Cardiff - emerged, one which would enable Welsh rugby bosses to get to their desired number of three.

The WRU and Y11 have both declined to comment on this possibility, fuelling fears of Ospreys supporters about their sides' future, while Cardiff fans have been vocal on social media against any such proposed takeover deal.

Ospreys: Walsh (co-capt); Hopkins, Watkin, K Williams, Giles; Edwards; Hardy;G Phillips, Parry (co-capt), Botha, R Davies, R Smith, Ratti, Deaves, Morris

Replacements: Lake; S Thomas, Henry, Fender, Morse, G Evans, P Cokanasiga, Nagy

Cardiff: Winnett; Adams, Millard, B Thomas, Grady; Sheedy, Mulder; Southworth, Belcher (capt), Assiratti, McNally, Nott, Mann, D Thomas, Lawrence.

Replacements: E Lloyd, Barratt, Sebastian, Thornton, Botham, Faletau, A Davies, Beetham.

Referee: Adam Jones (WRU)

Assistant referees: Ben Breakspear (WRU), Amber Stamp-Dunstan (WRU)

TMO: Craig Evans (WRU).