MAGNERS LEAGUE Venue: Liberty Stadium Date: Saturday, 27 December Kick-off: 1730 GMT Coverage: Live on S4C, Radio Cymru and score updates on the BBC Sport website
Phillips relishing return to action
Wales hooker Huw Bennett could return for the Ospreys in the west Wales derby at Swansea's Liberty Stadium.
Bennett's ankle injury kept him out of the autumn Tests and he was not expected to return until mid January.
Scrum-half Jamie Nutbrown could also be back from injury, but Shane Williams is out with a shoulder problem.
The Scarlets have no fresh injury concerns ahead of the game, but Morgan Stoddart (knee), Iestyn Thomas (neck) and Darren Daniel (calf) remain doubts.
Osprey Nutbrown's fellow number nine Mike Phillips returned from nine months injury absence in last Friday's defeat at the Dragons.
"This game has been a sell-out for a few months and it shows how passionate the people are and it's going to be great for the players," Phillips told BBC Sport Wales.
"It will be a great spectacle and hopefully great to play in front of.
"We are more than capable of putting in a good performance against the Scarlets and hopefully getting a win."
Nikki Walker, Duncan Jones, Ian Evans, Ben Lewis and Andy Lloyd remain long-term Ospreys casualties, while Jonathan Spratt and Gareth Owen should return in the new year.
The Ospreys have lost three of their last four in the league, but have won their last six at the Liberty Stadium in all competitions.
The Scarlets have won just one of their last six away matches, but have triumphed in three of their last four clashes with Welsh opposition and did the league double over the Ospreys last season.
Scarlets skipper Simon Easterby has told his side to copy the Dragons' example against the Ospreys in the 20,000 sell-out festive derby.
"I think what the Dragons did, they showed exactly how to beat the Ospreys," said Easterby.
"They showed them no respect and got stuck into them and it was a really good derby match."
The Scarlets head to Liberty Stadium boosted by their first victory at new home Parc y Scarlets, Saturday's 27-13 win over the Blues.
Easterby added: "It [playing the Ospreys] doesn't get much bigger than that in our eyes.
Easterby was relieved at his side's victory over Cardiff Blues
"We'll take a lot of confidence out of [beating the Blues]. We ground out the win and we've got to go to the Ospreys looking forward and hopefully - we won there last year - we can do it this year."
After failing to beat Ulster in back-to-back Heineken Cup games, Easterby said beating Welsh rivals the Blues in the league was a boost.
"[It was] a bit of a relief - third game here [Parc y Scarlets], first win and it was important that we got the result tonight.
"It wasn't pretty. We ground it out. We had very good field position. We kicked well and we chased well.
"We just couldn't get away from them for the last 15 minutes, but it was a good, solid, all-round effort and something that we needed."
The retired Irish international flanker says with their competitive interest in Europe and the EDF Energy Cup ended, their sights are on the league going into the New Year.
"The league position is quite tight anyway so there's not much probably between third and last place, you know.
"There's only a few points in it. So it's important we keep climbing the table� it's the only tournament we can win this year so it would be nice to get on a bit of a roll."
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