Top 14: Wilkinson back as Toulon target the 'Fridge'; Stade Toulousain woes continue

England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson will make his Toulon return this weekend after being named in the 29-strong squad for Friday night's away game at Stade Francais.

Head coach Philippe Saint-André has also included Argentina captain Felipe Contepomi - who made his debut as a second-half replacement on Saturday - and former rugby league star Sonny Bill Williams.

Full-back Rory Lamont remains on international duty with Scotland, with Australian Luke Rooney likely to continue in the No 15 shirt. British players Kris Chesney, Phillip Fitzgerald, Tim Ryan, Jamie Robinson and Tom May are also in the squad, although Joe El-Abd is absent after failing to recover in time from his calf strain.

That British-based enclave could be swollen further next season with Saint-André set to raid former club Sale Sharks yet again, this time for Welsh international prop Eifion Lewis Roberts.

Saint-André, who was head coach at Sale prior to joining Toulon has already brought Sébastien Bruno, Lamont and Juan-Martin Lobbe over from Manchester and has now apparently set his sights on adding Roberts to that group.

Roberts, who is known as the 'Fridge', could be tempted by the cross-Channel switch after being overlooked for Wales' November internationals, although Kingsley Jones - Sale's director of rugby - has vowed to try and hold on to the 28-year-old.

"With Eifion's contract being up I wouldn't be surprised if Philippe was interested in him. But we desperately want him to stay at Sale," he told the Western Mail. 

Meanwhile, off the pitch, Toulon's new training centre was officially opened by Mayor Hubert Falco on Monday. He also confirmed plans by the Cote d'Azur club to expand seated capacity at the Stade Félix Mayol from 13,500 to 16,500.

Stade Toulousain's erratic season is continuing to be hampered by injuries and international calls, with Guy Noves' side having already lost five of their seven away games this campaign. Their latest reverse was a 30-10 humbling at Castres on Saturday and preparations for their forthcoming home game against local rivals Montauban have been further hit by injuries to Florian Fritz (cut knee), Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (torn right thigh), Manu Ahotaeiloa (calf strain) and Grégory Lamboley (thigh strain).

All four have been ruled out of this weekend's game, while Vincent Clerc, Yannick Jauzion, Maxime Médard, Thierry Dusautoir, Romain Millo-Chluski, William Servat, Yann David and Cédric Heymans are otherwise occupied with the French national team. In addition, fly-half David Skrela is yet to fully recover from the knee injury which has prevented him playing at all so far this season, although he could be in action for the 'espoirs' at the weekend. 

It all combines for a hefty selection headache for veteran Stade boss Noves, who remains bitterly unhappy that his club continues to be penalized for providing so many players to the national team.

Clermont Auvergne are another club struggling with both injuries and international absentees at the moment, as witnessed by their surprise 13-16 home defeat by Biarritz at the weekend. They are likely to be without at least nine first-choice players for Saturday's visit of Bourgoin, but South African utility back Brent Russell is hopeful that he could return after recovering from a thigh injury.

Bourgoin's continuing struggles, both on and off the pitch, have been brought back into focus this week. The Isere club has lost three and drawn one of its past four league matches, and dropped into the Top 14 relegation zone at the weekend following their latest reverse, a 20-23 home defeat by Montpellier.

Three of their next four league games are away from home - beginning with a trip to Clermont Auvergne on Saturday - and now news has emerged of a split between players and club officials following confirmation that prop Olivier Milloud and captain Julien Frier have both resigned from their representative posts on the board.

AFP reported that the pair had stepped down due to delays in implementing 'Objective 2012', a re-financing package aimed at resolving the club's financial situation. Frier and Milloud are said to be backing an investment package from Didier Souche, a Lyon-based entrepreneur, but president Gaston Maulin and his board are not so keen.

Maulin stepped into the breach to help rescue the club from bankruptcy earlier in the season - a move which included the players taking a 15% wage cut - but reports in France say the president has yet to put up the €600,000 needed to secure next season's budget.

Perpignan's Damien Chouly will be out for up to eight weeks after spraining medial collateral ligaments in his right knee during Friday's shock defeat at basement club SCA Albi.