England's Coles returns for Saints against Bristol

With Northampton and Bath both losing in the last round as well as Saracens beating Bristol, the race for the play-offs shows no sign of reaching an early conclusion.

There are just three rounds to go yet six teams still remain in the hunt for the top four spots.

Seven points now separate Exeter in fourth and Saracens in sixth, and there are only five between Saints in first and Leicester in third, with who takes the top two places and the crucial home semi-final spots also still very much undecided.

You can listen to coverage of all of the matches on BBC DAB and FM local radio, via BBC Sounds or the BBC Sport website and app.

Northampton v Bristol (Friday)

Northampton have made six changes as they look to bounce back from a bruising defeat by neighbours Leicester when they welcome Bristol (19:45 BST).

The league leaders, who have not lost at Franklin's Gardens in more than a year, welcome back England lock Alex Coles who has not featured since the Six Nations due to an ankle injury.

Coles is partnered by Ed Prowse in a new-look second row, with prop Elliot Millar Mills and flanker Henry Pollock also coming into the forward pack. Centre Tom Litchfield and scrum-half Archie McParland are the other two changes.

Bristol's injury crisis shows no sign of slowing as they saw wing Gabriel Ibitoye ruled out for the remainder of the season following last weekend's defeat by Saracens.

Louis Rees-Zammit returns from a knock and then sickness that has ruled him out for the past three games to take Ibitoye's place.

Rich Lane is also back from a hamstring issue to start at full-back while James Williams and Harry Randall start in the centre and at scrum-half.

Northampton: Furbank (c); Freeman, Litchfield, Hutchinson, Hendy; F Smith, McParland; Iyogun, R Smith, Millar Mills; Coles, Prowse, Kemeny, Pollock, Chick

Replacements: Walker, Fischetti, Green, Van der Mescht, Pearson, Graham, Mitchell, Dingwall

Bristol: Lane; Rees-Zammit, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ravouvou; Jordan, Randall; Genge, Thacker, Kloska; Dun, Batley, Owen, Harding (c), Grondona

Replacements: Gwilliam, Woolmore, Lahiff, Taylor, Ivanishvili, Marmion, Moroni, Heward

• Bears without injured Ibitoye for up to four months
• Late change no excuse for Saints defeat - Dingwall

Bath v Newcastle (Saturday)

Team news to come.

Harlequins v Exeter (Saturday)

Team news to come.

Saracens v Gloucester (Saturday)

Team news to come.

Sale v Leicester (Sunday)

Team news to come.