Tom Youngs: England hooker set to start on Leicester Tigers return

Tom Youngs has played only three Premiership games to date this season

England hooker Tom Youngs is poised to start on his return from a 10-week injury lay-off when Leicester Tigers face Wasps at Welford Road on Saturday.

Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill also said lock Geoff Parling is likely to feature against Toulon in the European Champions Cup next week.

Youngs, 27, has not played since injuring his shoulder in September's heavy loss against Bath.

"Tom will be fit. He may well start," Cockerill told BBC Radio Leicester.

"He will certainly be fresh and he will certainly give you some impetus from a scrum, ball carrying and aggression point of view. That is exactly what we need."

Hooker Leonardo Ghiraldini is also set to return to the Tigers side after featuring for Italy in their autumn internationals, with 20-year-old Harry Thacker scoring three tries in Leicester's last three games.

"It is good to have two Test hookers back involved," said Cockerill.

"We will see how Leo is and Harry has been good for us."

Parling is keen to return to action for Leicester

Parling, 31, is likely to return in the first week of December.

Like Youngs, he has not featured since the loss at Bath.

"We are just bound by the time from the specialists. The stand down time will mean he will probably be back for Toulon at home," said Cockerill.

Leicester will also have Argentina prop Marcos Ayerza and winger Niki Goneva back from the Fiji squad.

"Suddenly we are getting some firepower back in there," said Cockerill.