Zebre are able to call on experienced duo Mils Muliaina and Gonzalo Garcia for the first time this season and team manager Andrea De Rossi is excited to see them in action on Sunday.

Ospreys are the visitors to Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, where Zebre have won their last three games in all competitions – while their last seven GUINNESS PRO12 clashes have all been won by the home side.

All Blacks legend Muliaina, who joined from Connacht this summer only to miss the start of the season with injury, starts at full-back, while Italy international Gonzalo Garcia is at inside centre.

And De Rossi admits his big players will have to step up to emerge victorious against a strong Ospreys outfit.

“I am very happy to see Muliaina make his debut,” he said.

“During the last few weeks he has shown great determination and will to return. The same goes for Garcia, another important pillar of our team.

“We will face the Ospreys team surely on form, as evidenced by their results in the Champions Cup.

“Despite our many important absences for injuries, I expect a big reaction from the guys who will take the field.

“We need to improve the performance of the start of our games and in the week we thoroughly analysed the reasons for these false starts.”

The Ospreys have won their last two GUINNESS PRO12 matches, against Zebre and the Cardiff Blues at Liberty Stadium, but their only away victory in any tournament since May came on a visit to Benetton Treviso in round 4.

And these two sides have met on seven previous occasions, with Zebre’s only victory so far being 30-27 in Parma in May 2014.

Ospreys head coach Steve Tandy has named Sam Davies at fly-half, with Wales international Dan Biggar taking his place among the replacements.

Alun Wyn Jones is also on the bench, with flanker Justin Tipuric captaining the side in his absence – he is joined in the back row by James King and Dan Baker.

Hanno Dirksen also drops to the bench, with Josh Matavesi and Jonathan Spratt partnered in the centres, while prop Ma'afu Fia will make his Ospreys debut if he comes on in Parma.

“We are going out to Italy knowing that we have to be at our very best,” said Tandy. “They've got an excellent record at their place, are a very dangerous side, and if we are just a couple of percent off our game then we won't get what we need from the game.

"Our form over the last few weeks, in the league and in Europe, has been better, but there is still some way for us to go. We are heading in the right direction but nobody is under any illusions about where we are as a group at the moment.

"The next five or six weeks are massive for us now. It's important that we keep building momentum, keep working hard to improve week on week, and get our performances right.

“It's an exciting time, with big game after big game, but we've got to stay focused if we are going to achieve what we want over the next few weeks."

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At Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 3pm local time (2pm UK & Ireland). Live on RAI Sport
Referee: John Lacey (IRFU, 47th competition game)
Assistant Referees: Elia Rizzo, Luca Trentin (both FIR)
Citing Commissioner: Stefano Marrama (FIR)
TMO: Stefano Penne (FIR)