GREGOR TOWNSEND made a noble stab at trying to convince everybody how seriously he was taking the challenge of Zebre, the winless basement club in the Guinness PRO12. But one look at his starting XV for today's match and it is obvious respect only goes so far. Townsend's selection for the encounter in Parma has one eye on next week's European Champions Cup opener against Leicester.

Almost all of his big names are out, some because they are on the 13-strong injury list, some just rested after a brutal start to the season. However you look at it, with the exception of Stuart Hogg, who is on the bench, none are there.

The one position where Townsend has no choice in rolling the dice and having a gamble is second row, where things are looking grim for the club unless they can find some emergency cover.

Jonny Gray has been rested after playing every game this season and, in many of those, he has taken some serious beatings. However, the real problem is the injury list which contains Greg Peterson, the USA international, and Scott Cummings, last season's Scotland Under 20s captain, who are both out for six months after shoulder surgery. There are more. Tjiuee Uanivi is uncertain how long he will be missing – also with a shoulder problem while Tim Swinson will not be back from a rib injury until next week. For this game, Townsend has no choice other than to go experimental with Rob Harley again pressed into service in a role he has not played consistently in professional rugby. He is joined by Rob McAlpine, who was once on the books at Edinburgh, but has been out of pro ranks for the last two seasons.

"It is [about] managing of resources," Townsend explained. "Stuart Hogg and [Leonardo] Sarto will be involved off the bench. We have strength in depth. If anybody had niggle or a risk we made the decision to get it right.

"He [McAlpine] was involved in the Glasgow academy before I got here. He went to the Edinburgh academy, became an Edinburgh player and played for them. He did not get his contract renewed and went to Ayr. He is a player I was keeping an eye on. He played for us a couple of times for us in A games.

"Until this season we had been pretty good with players in the second row avoiding injury and we have had a lot of second rows. This is an opportunity for him. We were delighted he was able to train with us last week, [and] play, and he will be involved with us for a period now.

"The positive thing for us is that he is 25 – not a 20-year-old coming in. Physically he really helps with our set-piece."

McApline did come off the bench for six minutes when Glasgow won in South Wales last week, but this will be his first professional start since he left Edinburgh at the end of Alan Solomons' first season, and only his fifth in all.

There is no doubt where Townsend sees the main danger from Zebre, and he will field the most-experienced front row at the club's disposal, with Gordon Reid playing his 99th game along side former All Black Corey Flynn and Tongan international Sila Puafisi.

The big gamble is in the backs, where Finn Russell is rested after only two games back from a serious head injury and with niggles worrying them, Henry Pyrgos, Alex Dunbar and Mark Bennett are not risked while Hogg and Tommy Seymour are also rested, giving Sean Lamont and Lee Jones a chance to start.

"We got a lot of competition on the wing just now," said Townsend. "Lee Jones scored two tries for Currie [last week]and Lamont was part of the Glasgow Hawks team that run in lots of tries.

"We are looking forward to see them playing and Leo [Sarto] coming off the bench against his former club – he can’t wait to play. He had a little injury which is why he is not in the starting line-up.

"Sam Johnston [the centre] has been in terrific form but has not been selected for last two weeks so keen to see him play."

Townsend knows it is not going to be an easy match in Italy, and he is undoubtedly hoping that the chance for his players to play their way into contention for next week's European game will act as extra incentive.

"Zebre are a different team at home. They were 20-10 at half time v Connacht [when the game was abandoned because of a lightning storm]. Against Cardiff they lost by two points we lost by five," he said.

"We will have to play really well. We were losing at half-time last season, but then things clicked. We have to work hard for 80 minutes."

Zebre: E Padovani; L Greeff, G Bisegni, T Castello, G Venditti; C Canna, G Palazzani; A Lovotti, O Fabiani, P Ceccarelli, J Furno, G Biagi (C), M Mbanda, J Meyer, A Van Schalkwyk. Replacements: C Festuccia, B Postiglioni, D Chistolini, Q Geldenhuys, F Ruzza, M Violi, T Boni, K Van Zyl.

Glasgow Warriors: P Murchie; S Lamont, N Grigg, S Johnson, L Jones; R Clegg, A Price, G Reid, C Flynn, S Puafisi, R Harley, R McAlpine, J Strauss, F Brown, R Wilson (C). Replacements: J Malcolm, D Sears-Duru, Z Fagerson, C Hunter-Hill, M Fagerson, G Hart, S Hogg, L Sarto.

Referee: L Linton (Scotland)