World Cup-winning lock Brad Thorn is set to make his Leicester Tigers debut against Gloucester at Kingsholm on Saturday.
The former All Black arrived in the country last month nursing a torn bicep he picked up during his last season with the Highlanders.
But that injury has now cleared up and his likely selection in the match-day 23 is one of a number of players making a welcome return to action this weekend
Italian prop Michele Rizzo is also likely to make his first appearance for the club after joining this summer with a knee injury he contracted playing for his country in the Six Nations.
Centre Seremaia Bai will be back after a spell of concussion and it is "highly likely" that Samoan prop Logovi'i Mulipola should be back after missing the London Irish game to bolster what has been a very young front row.
Director of rugby Richard Cockerill said he was delighted to get some fit bodies back no the field.
"That will be four good bodies to stick back in the mix," he said.
There was bad news for lock Geoff Parling, however, as he has been ordered to take a month away from the game to recover from repeated concussion issues.
He will then spend a month being "re-integrated into training" and is likely to be back playing in December.
He will miss England's Autumn internationals as a result.
"Geoff saw the specialists last week and he will have a spell out of the game now," said Cockerill.
"It will probably be three or four weeks of doing nothing to let it settle down – and then he will be re-integrated into training before paying around December.
"He will be playing again – of that there is no doubt – and I need him back. But the important thing is that this is not a bump, bruise or strain. It's very serious and the club treat it that way. You have to see the bigger picture."
There will also be no return to action this week for either first-choice centre, Manu Tuilagi (leg) or Ant Allen (knee).
While Allen is expected to be out for another month before he returns, Tuilagi is set to return for next week's home game with Harlequins.
"We want to get Manu right and he is improving well, but not quite well enough to be able to play," said Cockerill.
"We know what is wrong with him but historically, most of the Pacific Island boys heal slowly. His bothers were the same.
"The Tuilagi gene is big and quick and nasty, they are just slow healers."
