FINN Russell plays his first game for Glasgow Warriors tonight after four months out with a head injury - and is more fearless than ever, according to Gregor Townsend.

A sickening clash of heads with team-mate Zander Fagerson in the opening minutes of the PRO12 semi-final against Connacht in May forced Russell into that long lay-off. It is the kind of serious injury that can make many players think twice before going into tackles when they make their comeback, but his coach says that the Scotland stand-off is raring to go against Ulster tonight.

“When he wasn't supposed to be doing contact [in training], I’ve seen him getting stuck in,” Townsend said yesterday. “In the last two and a half weeks since he's done contact, he's tackled really well. That has probably helped his return, because he likes that side of the game so much.

“Yes, it was a serious injury, and he's missed a bit of time - but he's not missed much rugby, because the injury was over the summer after the last game of the season. This is round four and he's back playing for us.

“Like any injury you make a full recovery and you want to get out there and play. He's showed those emotions and those attributes over the last few weeks.”

Russell played for Ayr against Hawick last week, and did enough to convince Townsend that he should go straight back into his team for this evening’s game at Scotstoun. He will keep wearing a headguard on medical advice, but otherwise there should be little or no difference in the way he plays.

“I think the recommendation was wearing it for the season,” Townsend added. “He's had one game now. I think like anyone who wears it for the first time he'll take it off to goal kick and chat, because your head gets a bit warm.

“He seemed to do okay last week. I'm as confident as you would be if this was his first or second game of the season without injury.

“The way he has attacked training, the way he attacked that game - he can't wait to play. He has always stepped up at the highest level. It's a big test for us, it's a big test for him, but he's usually relished that.”

With Peter Horne out for around six weeks after fracturing a hand in last week’s defeat by Cardiff, full-back Stuart Hogg will be the back-up for Russell at No 10.

“Stuart has always had that ability to play 10,” Townsend said. “We want him popping up at first or second receiver - anywhere he can get his hands on the ball.

“He knows the calls, he knows who to hit, but he’s obviously a very good full-back. The opportunities he gets from full-back to run are probably higher than he gets at 10, but to have him there is a bonus..

“Peter will rehab like no other player and he’ll be back as quickly as possible, but we know that he'll have to get that bone fixed. So it's disappointing for him and us, but he was probably due a rest over the next couple of weeks, it's just disappointing that it’s going to be a longer rest.”

Glasgow (v Ulster at Scotstoun, tonight, 7.35pm, live on BBC 2): S Hogg; L Sarto, M Bennett, A Dunbar, T Seymour; F Russell, H Pyrgos; G Reid, F Brown, Z Fagerson, G Peterson, J Gray, T Uanivi, L Wynne, R Wilson. Substitutes: P MacArthur, A Allan, S Puafisi, S Thomson, M Fagerson, A Price, N Grigg, R Hughes.