Coach John Mulvihill says Cardiff Blues need their Welsh international contingent back as they try to overcome slumping to a fifth defeat in eight Pro14 games.

Blues' absentees include five players in the back five of the scrum.

Glasgow Warriors were also missing nine players on international duty in their 19-10 win in Newport.

Young Blues flankers James Botham and Shane Lewis-Hughes have recently made Wales breakthroughs in the absence of the injured Josh Navidi.

Locks Cory Hill and Seb Davies, props Rhys Carre and Dillon Lewis, scrum-half Lloyd Williams and wing Josh Adams are also absent with Wales, with Covid-19 precautions meaning that players are unable to return to regional duty even when not required by their country.

Pro14 results have highlighted Welsh squads' relative lack of depth compared to their Irish counterparts, with Leinster, Ulster and Munster clocking up 20 games unbeaten between them.

Blues' absentees will be back from international duty when they go to Newcastle in the European Challenge Cup on Friday, 11 December.

"Some (Wales players) haven't had a lot of game-time so I hope they'll be bursting to put a blue jersey on," said Mulvihill.

"We need them, we need to change our squad up a bit because we let ourselves down against Glasgow.

"Dillon comes back in, Seb Davies and Cory Hill will be looking to stake a claim for selection as well.

"Hopefully we'll get ourselves right to bounce into Europe, away [to Newcastle] against a big pack.

"We'll make a really simple game plan, it'll be just good to have those boys in the group."

Mulivhill told BBC Sport Wales that Botham and Lewis-Hughes should benefit from the experience of starting in the 24-13 Autumn Nations Cup defeat by England.

"They'll bring back some international form. I think they played pretty well, they've learned the physicality of the international game and it'll put them in good stead when they come back and put a blue jersey on," he said.

Captain Kristian Dacey is hoping Blues, twice winners of the European Challenge Cup, can prosper in this season's truncated competition, where they face Stade Francais Paris as well as Newcastle.

"We've got quality coming back and I'm sure they'll slip straight back in," said Dacey.

"It's about building strength in depth and getting boys the exposure that's needed at this level.

"We've got to be excited, we've won it so it's a new chapter to put the league behind us and move on for the next couple of weeks into Europe."