Gloucester Rugby head into Saturday’s massive game against Leicester Tigers in the Gallagher Premiership with key playmakers Gareth Anscombe and Santi Carreras both fit for selection.

Fly-half Anscombe has not played since picking up a knock to his knee in the victory against Sale Sharks on January 4 and was left out of Wales’ Six Nations squad, however, that is understood to have nothing to do with injury with the 33-year-old fit to go head-to-head with Springbok star Handre Pollard at Kingsholm this weekend with the Slater Cup on the line.

Full-back Carreras is also in line to start despite initial fears over his fitness after taking a knock to his leg in the 31-7 victory over the Scarlets in the Challenge Cup two weeks ago when he was named player of the match.

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Skivington rested the majority of his first team squad for Sunday’s trip to Bayonne in the Challenge Cup which resulted in a 55-17 defeat. In contrast, Tigers head coach Michael Cheika named his strongest possible side for their trip to Toulouse in the Champions Cup but to no avail with the English side suffering an 80-12 thrashing at the hands of the defending European champions.

Skvington said he expects both sides will be looking for a response after heavy defeats. He said: “We know it's the last Prem game for a little while. We know it's the Slater Cup. There are loads of reasons to be fired up. We've been there, suffering big defeats. It's not fun. You can't wait to get to your next game. I expect a very good Leicester team to come here and it to be a very tough game, regardless, really.”

The Cherry and Whites’ trip to Bayonne was not without its casualties with both fly-half Charlie Atkinson and full-back George Barton limping off at the Stade Jean-Dauger but Skivington revealed neither injuries were as bad as first feared. Discussing Atkinson whose leg got accidentally stood on around the knee area, he said: “I think it was one of those that it stung worse than it was actually was. I think at the time he was in quite a lot of discomfort and then post-game he felt a lot better. So he's all right.”

Providing an update in Barton he added: “George is in a similar boat to Charlie he took a bang. As it stands, it's nothing. George was a little bit sorer than Charlie post-game. But as it stands, it's nothing too bad. He had an X-ray, which was all clear. So that's positive.”

In another positive, hooker George McGuigan is on the verge of a return from a long-term hamstring injury he suffered in the Premiership Rugby Cup final win against Leicester last season, Skivington confirmed. He said: “George isn't a million miles off returning, all the others will be more like when the Premiership starts up again [post Six Nations]."