Gloucester's Guinness Premiership title hopes suffered a major setback after injured captain Marco Bortolami withdrew from today's final against Leicester at Twickenham.
The Italian Test skipper underwent a fitness test this morning, which showed he had failed to recover from a knee injury suffered during the play-off semi-final victory over Saracens last weekend.
Gloucester had hoped their inspirational lock would recover in time as they targeted their first English title triumph. But Bortolami will now be replaced in the starting line-up by Will James, who is promoted from the replacements' bench.
Adam Eustace now joins the substitutes, while flanker Peter Buxton takes over as captain.
Bortolami has proved arguably Gloucester's most consistent player this season, and he would have had a huge role to play in trying to subdue an in-form Leicester pack.
The Tigers will complete the second leg of a possible trophy treble if they beat Gloucester, having already collected the EDF Energy Cup last month, while they face Wasps in this season's Heineken Cup final tomorrow week.
Gloucester are back at Twickenham four years after they were beaten 39-3 in the Premiership final by Wasps, finishing without the trophy despite ending top by 15 points following the regular 22-game season.
While Gloucester plug the gap left by Bortolami's absence, Leicester will go into battle without their England scrum-half Harry Ellis, who suffered a serious knee injury in the semi-final triumph against Bristol last Saturday.