Second-rower Parling was rested for last Saturday’s bonus-point win against London Irish but returns as the only change in the starting XV for the clash between the teams placed third and fourth in the Aviva Premiership table at the halfway stage of the league season.
Mafi is named among the replacements on his return to the squad for the first time since suffering a knee injury in the win over Northampton Saints in November.
Tigers fly-half Flood makes his 100th Premiership appearance in Saturday’s match.
Leicester Tigers (v Gloucester Rugby, Welford Road, Saturday 5.00pm)
15 Geordan Murphy
14 Niall Morris
13 Manusamoa Tuilagi
12 Anthony Allen
11 Adam Thompstone
10 Toby Flood
9 Ben Youngs
1 Marcos Ayerza
2 Tom Youngs
3 Dan Cole
4 Louis Deacon (c)
5 Geoff Parling
6 Brett Deacon
7 Julian Salvi
8 Jordan Crane
Replacements
16 George Chuter
17 Logovi’i Mulipola
18 Martin Castrogiovanni
19 Ed Slater
20 Steve Mafi
21 Sam Harrison
22 George Ford
23 Matt Smith
Gloucester Rugby: 15 Martyn Thomas, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Mike Tindall, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Shane Monahan, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Jimmy Cowan; 1 Nick Wood, 2 Huia Edmonds, 3 Shaun Knight; 4 Will James, 5 Jim Hamilton (c); 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Akapusi Qera, 8 Ben Morgan
Replacements: 16 Darren Dawidiuk, 17 Dan Murphy, 18 Dario Chistolini, 19 Tom Savage, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Dan Robson, 22 Tim Molenaar, 23 Dave Lewis
