Owen Farrell among key Saracens players to sit out of Wasps clash with one eye on Champions Cup Final

Facing the push: Owen Farrell

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Chris Jones3 May 2017

Saracens will risk resting key players at leaders Wasps on Saturday in a bid to ensure they are at full strength for the European Champions Cup Final against Clermont Auvergne a week later.

Owen Farrell, Jamie George, Maro Itoje and the Vunipola brothers, Billy and Mako, are set to miss the match at the Ricoh Arena for which 26,000 tickets have already been sold.

Wasps will attempt to retain top spot in the final regular season game, while a victory for Sarries, who are two points behind in third, will see them secure a home semi-final.

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall insists leaving out England regulars is a gamble worth taking.

He added: “We have got to be sensible and make sure we’re at full strength for the games that really matter.

“If I thought the home semi-final was all-important we would probably send a different side down but we don’t believe it is. We will still send a highly competitive team.”