The fit-again John Cooney returned for the Ulster United Rugby Championship match against Munster on Friday (19:35 GMT), while academy player Jack Murphy could make his debut on the bench.
Ireland U20 international Murphy, son of head coach Richie Murphy, joined the team Ulster Academy against Leinster earlier this year.
The 20-year-old played in all five of Ireland’s matches in this year’s Under-20 Six Nations competition.
Scrum-half Cooney, who missed Ulster’s Investec Champions Cup defeats to Toulouse and Bordeaux, is recalled to partner Aidan Morgan at centre-back.
There were four changes in the strikers. Andrew Warwick replaces Eric O’Sullivan as a loose prop, Alan O’Connor replaces injured captain Iain Henderson in the second row, and James McNabney and Marcus Rea are recalled to the back row.
Zac Ward remains on the left wing after making his debut in last week’s defeat to Bordeaux.
In addition to Henderson, Ulster will miss Cormac Izuchukwu, Nathan Doak, Ben Carson, Stewart Moore and Jacob Stockdale.
Munster made six changes to the squad that lost to Castres in Europe last weekend, with all recalling Shane Daly, Paddy Patterson, John Ryan, Tom Ahern, Jack O’Donoghue and Gavin Coombes.
Irish forwards Peter O’Mahony and Tadhg Beirne are not in the Munster team, which, like Ulster, has three wins and four losses in this year’s URC competition.
Ulster: Michael Lowry; Werner Kok, Jude Postlethwaite, Stuart McCloskey, Zac Ward; Aidan Morgan, John Cooney; Andrew Warwick, Rob Herring, Tom O’Toole; Alan O’Connor (captain), Kieran Treadwell; James McNabney, Marcus Rea and David McCann.
Spare parts: John Andrew, Eric O’Sullivan, Scott Wilson, Harry Sheridan, Matty Rea, Dave Shanahan, Jack Murphy, Rory Telfer.
Münster: Mike Haley; Calvin Nash, Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Shane Daly; Jack Crowley, Paddy Patterson; John Ryan, Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer; Tom Ahern, Fineen Wycherley; Jack O’Donoghue (captain), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes.
Spare parts: Eoghan Clarke, Dave Kilcoyne, Oli Jager, Evan O’Connell, Alex Kendellen, Ethan Coughlan, Rory Scannell, Brian Gleeson.
