Image source, Press Association

Alex Sanderson makes five changes to the Sale side that beat Harlequins last weekend.

Tomas Francis makes his first start for the club, while flanker Ben Curry features from the start for the first time this term.

England winger Tom Roebuck is back from a calf strain, Rekeiti Ma’asi-White returns after a knee problem and Luke Cowan-Dickie replaces Nathan Jibulu at hooker.

Meanwhile, Glasgow have made eight changes, including first appearances of the season for captain Kyle Steyn, prop Zander Fagerson and lock Alex Craig.

Ruwald van der Merwe makes his club debut at number eight having signed from Pumas in the summer.

Only Nathan McBeth, Scott Cummings and Rory Darge retain their places in the forward pack that started the URC win over Connacht last time out as Seb Stephen starts at hooker and the fit-again Euan Ferrie comes into the back row.

Head coach Franco Smith sticks with the half-back pairing of George Horne and Dan Lancaster, with Stafford McDowall partnering Sione Tuipulotu in the centres.

Steyn joins Jamie Dobie and Kyle Rowe in a potent-looking back three.

Sale: Carpenter; Roebuck, Marchant, Ma'asi-White, Reed; Ford, Warr; Smith, Cowan-Dickie, Francis, Van Rhyn (capt), Bamber, Lawes, B Curry, Canakaivata.

Replacements: Jibulu, McIntyre, Opoku-Fordjour, Tshiunza, T Curry, Hanson, Lozowski, Loganimasi.

Glasgow: Rowe; Steyn (capt), McDowall, Tuipulotu, Dobie; Lancaster, Horne; McBeth, Stephen, Fagerson, Craig, Cummings, Ferrie, Darge, Van der Merwe.

Replacements: O Tuipulotu, Schickerling, Talakai, Oguntibeju, Brown, Miller, Reidy, Smith.

Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson has been speaking to Premier Sports about Hyron Andrews: "Anyone that comes to Sale is an adopted northerner. He had those traits and it is why he fitted in so well.

"His sense of humour in the dark times and his ability to feel the rain and embrace the weather. He will be sorely missed as mate more so than a player.

"It is tragic and devastating. The wheels keep turning and kick-off is at 13:00 which feels unfair."

Gloucester and holders Bordeaux Begles began this season's Champions Cup with a thrilling 36-36 draw at Kingsholm on Friday.

Bordeaux, bidding to win the Champions Cup for a third successive year, had looked in danger of their first loss in the competition since a quarter-final defeat by Harlequins in April 2024.

The French side trailed 24-17 at the interval and then 36-29 when Gloucester replacement Will Trenholm crossed twice midway through the second half for the early-season Prem leaders.

But France winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey quickly replied with his second try of the game, which was converted by Maxime Lucu, and neither team was able to produce a winning moment in a gripping finale.

Image source, Getty Images

Friday

• Gloucester 36-36 Bordeaux Begles

Saturday

• Sale v Glasgow (13:00)
• Bulls v Stade Francais (13:00)
• Clermont Auvergne v Leinster (15:15)
• Stormers v Bristol (15:15)
• Connacht v Saracens (17:30)
• La Rochelle v Lions (17:30)
• Bath v Montpellier (20:00)
• Munster v Racing 92 (20:00)

Sunday

• Pau v Leicester (13:00)
• Toulouse v Exeter (15:15)
• Northampton v Cardiff (17:30)

Image source, Getty Images

There will be a moment's silence before the Sale-Glasgow game - and indeed before all Champions Cup matches being played this weekend - in memory of Lions lock Hyron Andrews, who died on Friday aged 31.

Andrews, who spent two years with Sale before departing the Prem club at the end of last season, died at his team's hotel in France prior to Lions' Champions Cup fixture against La Rochelle.

That game, which kicks off at 17:30 BST, will go ahead as scheduled.

Good afternoon and welcome to our coverage of a bumper day of Champions Cup rugby.

There are eight matches in all on Saturday, with two games getting under way at 13:00 BST.

The main focus will be Sale v Glasgow, but I'll also keep you up to date with the score between South African side Bulls and French club Stade Francais.