Fly-half Dan Edwards will make his first Ospreys start in a much-changed side for the United Rugby Championship (URC) trip to face Benetton.

Wales fly-half Owen Williams returns among the replacements after a hamstring injury.

Hooker Marnus van der Merwe, who is on loan from Cheetahs, will make his Ospreys debut.

Only Max Nagy, Keiran Williams, Luke Morgan, Rhys Davies, James Fender and captain Morgan Morris survive from the side that beat Scarlets.

World Cup players Jac Morgan, George North, Dewi Lake and Nicky Smith are all absent from the trip to Italy, but Wales loose-head prop Gareth Thomas starts. Regular captain Justin Tipuric (thumb) is on the injured list.

Fly-half Luke Scully is named out of position at centre, while Iestyn Hopkins lines up on the wing. Youngsters Harri Houston, Lewis Jones and Morgan Morse are included on the replacements bench.

"Benetton are a good side at the minute, they're sitting in sixth in the league and they've only lost one game so far this season," said Ospreys first-team coach Richard Fussell.

"They're a big, strong outfit that will be hard to break down. We know the task, but it's about continuing on from our performance last week."

Form guide

Benetton have won four of their six games, their only defeat was 26-12 at Glasgow in round five and the Italians won 24-22 at Edinburgh last weekend.

The Italian side have not been beaten at Stadio Monigo in any competition since defeat against Lions in the URC last March and have lost just once to a Welsh region since October 2021, a 30-13 defeat at Cardiff in February.

Ninth-placed Ospreys have won three and lost three league games this season - all three wins coming at home, although one of those was over Sharks at the Stoop in London.

Their last away win did come in Italy, when they beat Zebre in Parma at the end of January.

Benetton: Rhyno Smith; Paolo Odogwu, Malakai Fekitoa, Marco Zanon, Edoardo Padovani; Jacob Umaga, Andy Uren; Thomas Gallo, Bautista Bernasconi, Giosué Zilocchi, Edoardo Iachizzi, Federico Ruzza, Alessandro Izekor, Michele Lamaro (capt), Toa Halafihi.

Replacements: Gianmarco Lucchesi, Mirco Spagnolo, Tiziano Pasquali, Riccardo Favretto, Manuel Zuliani, Lorenzo Cannone, Dewaldt Duvenage, Giacomo Da Re.

Ospreys: Max Nagy; Iestyn Hopkins, Luke Scully, Keiran Williams, Luke Morgan; Dan Edwards, Luke Davies; Gareth Thomas, Marnus van der Merwe, Rhys Henry, Rhys Davies, James Fender, Tristan Davies, Harri Deaves, Morgan Morris (capt).

Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Garyn Phillips, Ben Warren, Lewis Jones, Morgan Morse, Rewan Kruger, Owen Williams, Harri Houston.

Referee: Chris Busby (IRFU)

Assistant referees: Filippo Russo & Giona Righeti (FIR)

TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU).