Northampton Saints v Wasps: Full team news for Saturday's game at Franklin's Gardens
Lawes, who has recovered from a pectoral injury picked up during Six Nations duty with England, starts in the six shirt in what will be just his third club appearance of the campaign.
The 32-year-old will be joined in the back row by Lewis Ludlam and Tom Wood, who starts at No.8 with Teimana Harrison not in the matchday squad.
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Hide AdDan Biggar is also back, having missed the recent defeat at Newcastle Falcons.
Two players will reach big milestones this weekend, with Api Ratuniyarawa making his 100th Saints appearance and Alex Waller his 300th.
George Furbank has been added to the injured list with a calf problem, with Owen Franks (foot), Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi (Achilles), Nick Isiekwe (pectoral) and Alex Mitchell (ankle) also sidelined.
Piers Francis is fit to return among the replacements, which will also include youngsters Manny Iyogun and Connor Tupai.
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Hide AdSaints: Freeman; Sleightholme, Proctor, Dingwall, Naiyaravoro; Biggar, James; Waller (cc), Matavesi, Hill; Ribbans, Ratuniyarawa; Lawes, Ludlam (cc), Wood.
Replacements: Haywood, Iyogun, Painter, Moon, Coles, Tupai, Francis, Hutchinson.
Wasps: Atkinson; Kibirige, Odogwu, Le Bourgeois, Bassett; Umaga, Robson; West, Oghre, Alo; Rowlands, Gaskell; Shields (c), Young, T Willis.
Replacements: Cruse, McIntyre, Toomaga-Allen, Carsall, Vailanu, Vellacott, Gopperth, Miller.