Munster coach Declan Kidney has made one enforced change for the visit of Bourgoin to Thomond Park, with Anthony Foley's long-term injury requiring Denis Leamy to deputise at number eight and Alan Quinlan to come in at wing-forward.
Foley suffered a shoulder injury in the narrow in over Leicester at Welford Road on Sunday and is not likely to figure in Munster's plans until the New Year.
The news was a blow for Kidney's side considering Foley is Munster's top try-scorer in the competition. In fact, the game will be the first European Cup match he has missed since the win over Harlequins at The Stoop in 1997.
However, Kidney has a ready made experience in the trio that finished at Welford Road . Denis Leamy moves into number eight and will be joined by David Wallace and Quinlan in the backrow.
John O'Sullivan's good Magners League form has been rewarded with a call up to the bench in place of Quinlan.
There will be an unusually warm welcome for at least one of the opposition at Thomond Park at the weekend, with the return of Mick Prendergast to his old stomping ground.
Scrumhalf Prendergast, now known as Mickaël to his new team mates, used to ply his trade with Munster until earlier this year and made five appearances for the province in the Heineken Cup.
Munster: Shaun Payne; John Kelly, Barry Murphy, Trevor Halstead, Ian Dowling; Ronan O'Gara, Peter Stringer; Marcus Horan, Frank Sheahan, John Hayes; Donncha O'Callaghan, Paul O'Connell capt; Alan Quinlan, David Wallace, Denis Leamy.
Replacements: Andy Kyriacou, Federico Pucciariello, Mick O'Driscoll, John O'Sullivan, Toams O'Leary, Jeremy Manning, Lifiemi Mai.
Bourgoin: Sébastien Laloo; David Janin, Gillaume Bousses, Salési Finau, Rudolph Cotzee; Benjamin Boyet, Mickaël Prendergast; Olivier Milloud, Benoît Cabello, Olivier Sourgens; Carlo Del Fava, Bryce Williams; Augusto Petrilli, Mark Rennie, Julien Bonnaire Capitain.
Replacements: Jean-Philippe Genevois, Pablo Cardinali, Pascal Peyron, Wessel Jooste, Mickaël Campeggia, Florian Denos, Julien Frier
