Blair Kinghorn has played his final match for Edinburgh after he was left out of the starting XV to face Ulster on Saturday evening.

The Scotland full-back is due to join French Top 14 outfit Toulouse next week and the plan was for the 26-year-old to start at Kingspan Stadium for Edinburgh before flying out to meet his new team-mates. However, it has been confirmed that Kinghorn has suffered a minor hip injury and is not part of the squad travelling to Ireland, meaning that last week’s defeat by Benetton at the Hive Stadium is his last in capital colours.

Head coach Sean Everitt will have to do without a number of key players in his back division. South African Tim Swiel, a stand-off by trade, switches to 15 and makes his debut in the absence of Kinghorn and Emiliano Boffelli, who has a toe injury and won’t be fully fit until the end of the month. Winger Duhan van der Merwe misses out due to concussion protocols, so youngster Harry Patterson makes his fifth Edinburgh start, with Wes Goosen on the other flank. Matt Currie and James Lang pair up at centre, while captain Ben Vellacott returns to the team, with scrum-half Ali Price dropping to the bench. Ben Healy remains at 10.

Blair Kinghorn has a hip injury and has therefore played his last match for Edinburgh.

In the pack, Scotland hooker Ewan Ashman starts in place of Dave Cherry, who has an ankle injury, with WP Nel and Pierre Schoeman completing the front row. A revamped lock pairing sees Scotland caps Jamie Hodgson and Marshall Sykes both make their first starts of the season, with Grant Gilchrist rested and Glen Young handed a place on the bench. Fijian Viliame Mata returns to start at No 8, as Luke Crosbie shifts to blindside flanker, with Connor Boyle rested. Jamie Ritchie makes up the rest of the forward line.

While Edinburgh are missing a number of regular, they are boosted by the return of British & Irish Lion and Scotland internationalist Hamish Watson, who is named among the replacements after recovering from a fractured cheekbone.

On his selection, Everitt, said: “We’ve made a number of changes this week – a few unfortunately down to injury – but that’s really exciting for the guys who come in and get their opportunity. We, and I’m sure Blair, would have liked to see him play his last game for the club, but he has picked up a minor knock in training and unfortunately misses out – it’s great to see Tim Swiel step up at full-back having been made to wait for his chance.

“We’re lucky enough to have strength and depth at other positional groups where we’ve been able to rotate, while we welcome back experienced players like Bill Mata, Jamie Hodgson, Hamish Watson and Mark Bennett, who will all be champing at the bit to make an impact on Saturday night. It’s set to be another massive test but one we’re looking forward to. We travel to Belfast with plenty of quality in our ranks.”

Tim Swiel makes his first start for Edinburgh at Ulster.

Ulster, who were defeated at Scotstoun last weekend by Glasgow Warriors, hand a first start to South African World Cup-winning prop Steven Kitshoff.

Ulster: Will Addison, Rob Baloucoune, James Hume, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale, Billy Burns, John Cooney, Steven Kitshoff, Tom Stewart, Tom O’Toole, Alan O’Connor (c), Kieran Treadwell, Matty Rea, Nick Timoney, James McNabney. Replacements: John Andrew, Andy Warwick, Marty Moore, Cormac Izuchukwu, Dave Ewers, Nathan Doak, Stewart Moore, Ben Moxham.

Edinburgh Rugby: Tim Swiel, Harry Paterson, Matt Currie, James Lang, Wes Goosen, Ben Healy, Ben Vellacott (c), Pierre Schoeman, Ewan Ashman, WP Nel, Marshall Sykes, Jamie Hodgson, Luke Crosbie, Jamie Ritchie, Viliame Mata. Replacements: Adam McBurney, Robin Hislop, Javan Sebastian, Glen Young, Hamish Watson, Ali Price, Cammy Scott, Mark Bennett.

Referee: Federico Vedovelli (FIR, 4th league game)

Match details: Ulster v Edinburgh Rugby, Kingspan Stadium, Belfast, kick-off 5.15pm GMT.

Toulouse-bound Blair Kinghorn ruled out of final Edinburgh match due to injury as depleted squad named for Ulster trip