Geordan Murphy and Harry Ellis will return from injury in Leicester Tigers' LV= Cup tie against Bath at Welford Road on Friday night.

Murphy has been out of the game for four months following surgery on a a dislocated shoulder, while Ellis has not started a game since mid-September as he battles to strengthen a damaged knee.

Both men will be part of a squad that looks like being very strong despite Tigers losing a lot of players to the Six Nations.

Tigers will try to banish the disappointment of their European exit last weekend as they return to a competition which has seen them win one and lose one of their four pool games so far.

They will realistically need to beat both Bath, and then Northampton the following week, to secure a place in the semi-finals of the Anglo-Welsh tournament.

And head coach Richard Cockerill seems to be leaving nothing to chance as Tigers defend their unbeaten home record.

Despite fielding a completely different team to the one which lost 17-12 to the Ospreys in Swansea on Saturday, Leicester will put out a side laced with international quality.

"Ellis will make his comeback and Sam Vesty will play too," said Cockerill.

"Billy Twelvetrees and Lucas Amorosino will all play, Julian White will start and Murphy will be on the bench.

"We will put a very good side out and it's a completely different side to the one which started last Saturday.

"Nobody who played last Saturday will play on Friday night.

"Some of the younger guys will also play and Calum Green (lock) and Ben Pienaar (back row) will get a run.

"It is a slightly bizarre set-up in this competition. It is hard to control because you can't beat the teams in your own group, you have to beat teams in the other group.

"Whatever happens, we will try to keep our proud home record intact and get the buzz back into our play.

"If we win both games with bonus points, we might qualify, we might not.

"The key is having a good performance and getting back to winning ways.

"Bath are having a tough season but every team who comes here wants to win and they will be no different."

Tigers winger Johne Murphy has been included in the Ireland A squad to face England Saxons at Bath on Friday (2pm).

He could face fellow Tiger Geoff Parling, who was drafted into the Saxons squad last night as an injury replacement for London Irish's Nick Kennedy.