Bath will hand a first start to Jacques du Toit when they welcome Sale Sharks in their Premiership fixture on Friday.

Sale flanker Ben Curry returns for the trip to The Rec after his recovery from a shoulder injury.

The 22-year-old has been on the sidelines for five months and is one of three changes for the visitors.

Bath bring back Sam Underhill and Zach Merser in addition to Henry Thomas joining du Toit in their front row to replace the injured Will Stuart.

Elsewhere, Charlie Ewels returns to captain the side while academy graduate Tom Doughty could make his first league appearance as he is named on the bench.

Sale bring in Simon Hammersley at the back while JP du Preez comes in alongside James Phillips.

The visitors come into the game off the back of six of their contingent being named in contention to feature for South Africa for this summer's Test series against the British and Irish Lions.

Coenie Oosthuizen, Dan and Jean-Luc du Preez, Lood de Jager, Faf de Klerk and Akker van der Merwe could possibly feature for the Springboks this summer, according to Sale boss Alex Sanderson.

Bath: de Glanville, Watson, Clark, Redpath, Muir, Priestland, Chudley; Schoeman, du Toit, Thomas, Spencer, Ewels, Bayliss, Underhill, Mercer.

Replacements: Doughty, Bhatti, Judge, McNally, Faletau, Spencer, Bailey, Cokanasiga.

Sale: Hammersley, McGuigan, S. James, Hill, Yarde, MacGinty, de Klerk, Rodd, van de Merwe, Oosthuizen, Phillips, JP. du Preez, Wiese, T Curry, JL. du Preez.

Replacements: Langdon, Harrison, Harper, Neild, B. Curry, Quirke, Wilkinson, Doherty.

Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU).