Belleau injury hands 18-year-old Hugh Shields his Northampton debut against Saracens

Anthony Belleau’s unspecified training-ground injury has accelerated 18-year-old fly-half Hugh Shields into Northampton’s starting XV for Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership Rugby Cup opener against Saracens at Franklin’s Gardens, kick-off 3pm.

Shields, an England Under-18 international and son of former Saints hooker and current first-team manager Paul Shields, is handed the number 10 shirt with Fin Smith also absent on a mandatory rest period. He is one of seven potential debutants in the matchday squad.

Three other starters are also set to make their first appearances for the club. Outside-centre Will Catley, 17, will become Northampton’s second youngest player of the professional era — behind Archie McParland — when he takes the field at 17 years and 250 days old. New tight-head prop Ion Neculai and openside Josh Taylor complete the quartet of starting debutants.

Off the bench, summer recruit Lefty Zigiriadis, who joined from Ealing, along with youngsters Fergus Mainey and Sonny Goode are all in line for their first senior outings. Mainey, a University of Nottingham student and former Sedbergh pupil, is listed as a guest player.

Belleau is one of 10 players unavailable for the match. Wing Ollie Sleightholme has also picked up a training-ground injury, the severity of which is not yet known, while Italian wingers Edoardo Todaro and Malik Faissal and veteran tight-head Trevor Davison continue to rehab existing injuries. Amena Caqusau, Luke Green, Henry Lumley, Aidan Pugh and Charlie Tamani were also not considered for selection due to various knocks.

Chunya Munga captains Northampton from the second row, making his 55th appearance in a Saints shirt.