PLAYMAKER Jono Lance has replaced the injured Ryan Mills at inside centre as Worcester Warriors tackle Dragons at Rodney Parade in the European Challenge Cup on Friday (8pm).

Warriors have been hit by a string of injuries in midfield with Mills (unconfirmed), Ollie Lawrence (ankle), Francois Venter (ankle), Will Butler (ankle) and Alex Hearle (foot) all ruled out.

Mills and Lawrence are the latest centres to suffer blows, meaning fly-half Lance will step into the breach and partner Ashley Beck.

Warriors are also without hooker Matt Moulds (dead leg), fly-half Jamie Shillcock (ankle) and back-rower Tom Dodd (ribs) who also picked up knocks in last Saturday’s 34-28 victory over Dragons.

But Worcester have been boosted by the return of wing Perry Humphreys from injury while Tom Howe is back after acting as best man at his brother’s wedding in Oxfordshire.

Full-back Chris Pennell has recovered from the bang to the head sustained against Dragons last week and is the only player that keeps his place in the starting line-up as boss Alan Solomons welcomes back his star men.

The back-row trio of Cornell du Preez, Ted Hill and Sam Lewis have also been recalled along with international half-back pairing Duncan Weir and Francois Hougaard.

Young full-back Noah Heward has retained his place in the squad as a replacement after his try-scoring debut last week.

Elliot Dee will make his 100th appearance for Dragons as the World Cup stars return.

The hooker will hit his century and is named in the starting line-up alongside Wales team-mates Aaron Wainwright and Cory Hill, who make their first appearances of the season on home soil.

Hill slots in at blindside flanker to make a first appearance for Dragons since January, while Wainwright moves across the back row to play at number eight.

Dean Ryan makes a total of four changes to the side as he also recalls centre duo Adam Warren and Jack Dixon.

Back row Harrison Keddie returns among the replacements.

Warriors: Pennell; Humphreys, Beck, Lance, Howe; Weir, Hougaard; Black, Annett (C), Schonert, Bresler, Kitchener, Hill, Lewis, Du Preez.

Replacements: Miller, Waller, Palframan, Clegg, van Velze, Heaney, Heward, David.

Not considered due to injury: Will Butler, Tom Dodd, Dean Hammond, Alex Hearle, Ollie Lawrence, Marco Mama, Ryan Mills, Caleb Montgomery, Matt Moulds, Farai Mudariki, Jamie Shillcock, Francois Venter, Matti Williams.

Dragons: Talbot-Davies, Jenkins, Warren, Dixon, Hewitt, S Davies, R Williams (c); Harris, Dee, Brown, J Davies, Screech, Hill, Griffiths, Wainwright

Replacements: Hibbard, Reynolds, Jarvis, M Williams, Keddie, Baldwin, Botica, Morgan.