Edinburgh head to The Rec on Friday night without four South African-born players as they chase a crucial Investec Champions Cup result against pool leaders Bath.

Duhan van der Merwe, Wes Goosen, Pierre Schoeman and Boan Venter have not made the trip. Van der Merwe is ruled out after failing to recover from the calf injury that forced him off in last week’s dramatic 26-24 win over Gloucester, while Schoeman and Venter are among a long injury and workload list that has stripped the Scots of much of their front-row muscle.

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In total, Edinburgh are without 21 players, with 17 sidelined through injury, forcing head coach Sean Everitt to shuffle his pack for a match that may require at least a bonus point to secure a place in the last 16.

The absences open the door for Malelili Satala, who makes his senior debut on the wing. The 21-year-old arrived from Leicester’s academy last summer and is the son of former Fiji international Apolosi Satala, who represented Edinburgh between 2005 and 2006.

Satala replaces Van der Merwe in one of several changes to the starting XV. Scotland centre Matt Currie misses out with a hamstring injury, Goosen is rested, and Harry Paterson returns at fullback, with Piers O’Conor slotting into midfield.

“While we’ve had to manage the load after a massive physical shift from the group, this selection is a testament to the great depth we’ve built here,” Everitt said.

“We’re bringing in players who have been knocking on the door and training at a high level, and they now have the platform to make a real statement.”

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Everitt is excited to see Satala tested on the European stage.

“He is a player with genuine X-factor and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the jersey on such a massive stage; he’s worked hard for this opportunity and deserves his shot.”

EDINBURGH – 15 Harry Paterson, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Piers O’Conor, 12 James Lang, 11 Malelili Satala, 10 Ross Thompson, 9 Ben Vellacott (capt), 8 Ben Muncaster, 7 Freddy Douglas, 6 Tom Dodd, 5 Glen Young, 4 Callum Hunter-Hill, 3 Ollie Blyth-Lafferty, 2 Ewan Ashman, 1 James Whitcombe.
Bench: 16 Harri Morris, 17 Mikey Jones, 18 Paul Hill, 19 Euan McVie, 20 Connor Boyle, 21 Charlie Shiel, 22 Ben Healy, 23 Jack Brown.

Photo: Ewan Bootman/SNS Group via Getty Images