Lewis Moody will end a nine-month injury nightmare on Friday night, and he admits: “I am absolutely ready to go.”

The England flanker, who has not played since limping off during England’s RBS 6 Nations loss to Wales at Twickenham last February, is poised to make a long-awaited comeback when Leicester play their final EDF Energy Cup pool game against Welford Road visitors Sale Sharks.

The 30-year-old World Cup winner said: “As a rugby player, you just want to get out and play. I have come through all the rehab, and now I just want to play. I am absolutely ready to go.”

Leicester head coach Heyneke Meyer confirmed Moody’s appetite for battle after witnessing his trademark approach to training - an all-action style that helped coin him the nickname ‘Crazy Horse’.

Meyer said: “We need to show a lot of character with some of the international players away, but I am confident in the guys we have got. Let’s see how they go.

“Lewis has been working well, and he will start.

“He has been training hard, and we have had to tell him a few times to ease off.”

Danny Cipriani is not thinking of an England return even though injury to Jonny Wilkinson may have opened up an opportunity.

Wasps fly-half Cipriani is only in the early stages of a comeback after suffering an horrific ankle injury last season. The 20-year-old is six weeks ahead of schedule and played against Bath last Wednesday but is not rushing and pulled out of Saturday’s EDF Energy Cup defeat at Gloucester with soreness.

“I feel dreadfully sorry for Johnny, the fact that he’s done so much work to get back fit and got fit and was playing well and unfortunately the (knee) injury happened to him and I wouldn’t wish an injury on any player whatsoever,” Cipriani told BBC’s Inside Sport programme. “It is ironic but I need to think about getting back playing for Wasps - I can’t think about England at the minute.”

He added: “I need to think about playing for Wasps and playing well. I’ve only just come back from injury so I need to get a few games under my belt and play well for the club.”

Yet looking to the long-term, Cipriani believes there are exciting times ahead for England as they move into a new era under the guidance of Martin Johnson as team manager.

“I think any English fan undoubtedly knows that England could be up there with the best in the world again because there are two or three players in each position that could take England to be a world-class side again,” he said.

“You’ve got a ridiculous amount of back-row players and a whole heap of others that can take England forward.

“There’s so much to choose from that if we get it right and get that structure in place, England are going to be world-beaters again.”