WALES winger Rio Dyer will return refreshed for the Dragons in their key scrap against Zebre Parma at the bottom of the United Rugby Championship.
The 24-year-old from Rogerstone will feature in the Good Friday fixture at Rodney Parade between the Rodney Parade club, who currently prop up the table, and the Italians, who are three points ahead of them.
Dyer was rested for Saturday’s 31-10 defeat to the title-chasing Bulls while his Test teammates Cai Evans, Elliot Dee, Aaron Wainwright and Taine Basham all featured on their return from the Six Nations.
The speedster was given a breather after being a leading figure for Wales in the championship, starting all five internationals and scoring against Scotland and France.
"Rio is flying around the place and is available,” said head coach Dai Flanagan. “I'd be daft not to start him and it's a nice attack plan – pass to Rio!”
Dyer will make his ninth club appearance of the season and he has won 12 caps since last summer’s World Cup warm-ups.
Flanagan said: "He is a young man who played five 80 minutes for Wales and whenever he has been available for us, we have played him.
“Rio will go on the summer tour and will play the three games, if not the four. We've got a run-in when we will probably use him in the majority of games, so at some point we had to take him out.
“Rio would be clocking up 30-plus games and that's not healthy for anyone. He reported in sore all over last week so was a high risk but now he looks unbelievable.”
Dyer’s return would see either Ewan Rosser or Corey Baldwin drop out of the XV while hooker Dee and number eight Wainwright are likely to start after being on the bench against the Bulls.
Dee played the majority of the game after coming on in the 24th minute when Brodie Coghlan failed an HIA and will miss the Zebre game.
With Bradley Roberts still sidelined by a back issue, that will lead to a return to the matchday 23 for James Benjamin while tighthead Dmitri Arhip could also make a debut after the former Ospreys and Cardiff prop signed a short-term deal through to the end of the season.
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