BACKS to the wall Sale face a win-or-bust Edgeley Park encounter tomorrow with another big hole in their armoury.

The Premiership champions need to beat Heineken Cup Pool Three favourites Stade Francais to guarantee their progress and their already threadbare squad has now lost another two key players.

Winger Mark Cueto was ruled out earlier in the week after picking up a groin injury in the first of two back-to-back games against the French giants and hooker Sebastien Bruno will now also miss the game after suffering a back injury.

Oriol Ripol replaces Cueto on the wing and Andrew Titterrell resumes his role as hooker.

Titterrell has masses of experience and will be looking forward to getting stuck in for such an important game. He has a point to prove after playing second fiddle to Bruno since his return and will see this as his chance to make an impression.

Place

Sharks are still without a host of players including Charlie Hodgson, Jason White and Andrew Sheridan but will hopefully welcome back centre Chris Bell if he passes a late fitness test after recovering from a broken hand.

Summer signing from Cardiff, Lee Thomas, retains his place after a string of impressive performances.

The 22-year-old, who signed from Cardiff before the start of the season, has proved to be a good acquisition, combining great defensive work and attacking play, with some precise goal-kicking.

Summer signing Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, the younger of the two Argentinian brothers at Sale, will also have a late fitness test on his ankle after spraining it last weekend against Stade.

Nothing short of a bonus point victory will do for Sharks after disappointing defeats to Ospreys and the same French side last weekend in Paris.

Sharks put up a terrific battle in Paris and were unlucky to come away with nothing after Stade sneaked in a late try and won 27-16.

Must win

Director of Rugby Philippe Saint-Andre said: "This is a must win game for us. We need to win and we need to score four or more tries.

"It's as simple as that.

"The players put in a lot of effort last week and we almost gained a valuable bonus point.

"I am giving fitness tests to Mark Taylor and Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe late this afternoon.

"I need to give them an extra 24 hours as we have had a short week to prepare following the game in Paris. The crowd made a difference too last week and I am looking for a big performance from the Sharks fans."

Stade Francais also suffered a major blow this week when prolific try-scorer Christophe Dominici was ruled out.

But the French big-guns still have some of the most famous names on the Euro circuit and Lionel Beauxis, David Auradou, Pieter de Villiers, Sylvain Marconnet and Agustin Pichot will be lining up in their pink shirts.

NICK Mallett has reaffirmed he will not make himself available for England's vacant head coaching role.

Former Springboks supremo Mallett is one of world rugby's prize catches, and his name was immediately linked with England once Andy Robinson and the Rugby Football Union parted company. Mallett though, will remain in South Africa, where he is currently employed by Western Province in Cape Town.

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