**This weekend sees the return of the Heineken Champions Cup but Scarlets may not be in a celebratory mood, with an injury list [lengthening by the day](https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/rugby-morning-headlines-welsh-team-19424053).** Glenn Delaney will be without Liam Williams, Johnny Williams, James Davies and Rhys Patchell for their clash with Bath this weekend. Johnny McNicholl is good to go though but Delaney said he was one of just 20 players training this week. "They're just progressing and at the end of the day they're not going to be right for this week and we'll keep working with them and assessing them,” he said. "They'll miss this week but hopefully not for too much longer. Until we get the head of medical back in the building, we won't find out exactly when they'll be back." Scarlets’ Welsh rivals Dragons are set for their involvement in this European tournament since 2010/11 when they face Wasps this weekend. Head coach Dean Ryan insists they will [relish the opportunity](https://www.dragonsrugby.wales/news/2020/december/ryan-dragons-will-enjoy-euro-elite.html) to test themselves against the best in Europe. “We’re going to enjoy it,” stated Ryan. “I said right at the beginning, we’re not naïve enough to understand the challenge that we face, but we’re going to enjoy it. “I think someone told me a stat that 70% of our squad have never played in it. It’s been ten years since the region were there before, so we are going to enjoy it. “This is exactly where, right from the first game against Bristol when we finished off last year, the level of competition that the players want to test themselves.” In Scotland, Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill is hopeful he will be able to [field a full-strength team](https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/sport/18930104.edinburgh-rugby-return-full-compliment-champions-cup/) to face La Rochelle. Edinburgh had expected to be without several of their international players following the Autumn Nations Cup – but Scotland played one fewer game than expected because their game with Fiji was called off. Key forwards Ben Toolis and Hamish Watson are likely to play, although full-back Blair Kinghorn is a major doubt with a broken finger. “Blair has a finger issue after breaking it, so he’s down to train later in the week,” assistant coach Calum MacRae said. “[Toolis and Watson] are good to go. Both players were flying about in training and it's good to have them back. Ben is a bit light on game time, so he’ll be looking forward to getting back into an Edinburgh shirt and playing rugby again. “Obviously, we had the rest week a couple of weeks ago because of the Fiji game being cancelled. That means that was a down week, and therefore as far as I am aware all players who are fit are available for this week.” In Galway, head coach Andy Friend believes Connacht have what it takes to beat Racing 92 this weekend and stun the rugby world. It is seven years since Connacht beat Toulouse 16-14 but that remains their only victory in this European tournament in France and [Friend is confident they can pull off a similar upset.](https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-40186785.html ) “We talked on our virtual meeting yesterday as a group and just talked around that belief and my question was can we beat Racing? And the nods around the video screen, all 50 or so of them, were nodding their heads. That’s all we got to worry about then.”
