Ackermann admits he is considering a job offer from English team Gloucester

Lions coach Johan Ackermann admitted he is considering an offer to join English team Gloucester next season.

He is yet to make up his mind.

"The offer is there but I haven’t made a decision‚" Ackermann said.

"I don’t want to give you a time frame about when I will decide because I don’t want the players to be affected by that.

"I will make up my mind at an appropriate time."

• Southern Kings and Cheetahs set to be axed from Super RugbySouth Africa‚ New Zealand‚ Australia and Argentina Rugby (SANZAAR) will reveal its new Super Rugby format in the coming week‚ which will again change the landscape of the tournament. 

The Lions‚ meanwhile‚ have been restored to full strength for Saturday's clash against the Reds at Ellis Park following their exertions in Argentina

Elton Jantjies is back at flyhalf‚ Rohan Janse van Rensburg at inside centre‚ Lionel Mapoe at centre‚ while Franco Mostert will again operate at the heart of the engine room in his 50th Super Rugby appearance.

It is Mostert that coach Ackermann hopes will provide the spark up front that was absent last week in Buenos Aires.

"He really energises the players around him and he is a real character.

"He has served us well considering the car accident he was in when he broke his hip. The doctors back then told him he would not play again‚" said Ackermann.

In the backline there will be a Super Rugby debut for Under-19 star Madosh Tambwe at the expense of Sylvian Mahuza.

• Esterhuizen has to get used to another pivot after Lambie's injurySharks centre Andre Esterhuizen seems to be enjoying life with new and talented players alongside him‚ even though he is rueing another injury-enforced absence for Patrick Lambie. 

"We are very excited about him. He’s a former Jeppe (High) boy and he’s very much a local boy. We got him back having trained with the SA Under20 team."

With his team best players now more or less reassembled in the starting line-up Ackermann defended his decision not to travel to Argentina with some of his most experienced players last week.

The Lions lost 36-24 to the Jaguares.

"It wasn’t the same as last year when we left 16 players behind. This time only four players remained behind and we really didn’t have a case in two of those instances."

Kick-off is at 17:15.

Lions team to play the Reds:

1. Jacques van Rooyen (caps 34‚ debut 2014) 2. Malcolm Marx (caps 23‚ debut 2014) 3. Ruan Dreyer (caps 46‚ debut 2012) 4. Andries Ferreira (caps 39‚ debut 2014) 5. Franco Mostert (caps 49‚ debut 2014) 6. Jaco Kriel (caps 58‚ debut 2011) 7. Ruan Ackermann (caps 18‚ debut 2016) 8. Warren Whiteley (caps 69‚ debut 2011) 9. Faf de Klerk (caps 52‚ debut 2014) 10. Elton Jantjies (caps 85‚ debut 2011) 11. Courtnall Skosan (caps 39‚ debut 2014) 12. Rohan Janse van Rensburg (caps 19‚ debut 2016) 13. Lionel Mapoe (caps 81‚ debut 2010) 14. Madosh Tambwe / Sylvian Mahuza 15. Andries Coetzee (caps 46‚ debut 2012) 16. Robbie Coetzee (caps 30‚ debut 2014) 17. Dylan Smith / Corne Fourie (caps 18‚ debut 2016; caps 41‚ debut 2014) 18. Johannes Jonker (caps 3‚ debut 2017) 19. Lourens Erasmus (caps 11‚ debut 2016) 20. Kwagga Smith (caps 6‚ debut 2015) 21. Ross Cronje (caps 52‚ debut 2009) 22. Jaco vd Walt (caps 21‚ debut 2015) 23. Harold Vorster (caps 20‚ debut 2015)

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport