ROB Andrew will wait until the last possible moment before ruling mecurial fly-half Jonny Wilkinson out of Newcastle Falcons' daunting Heineken Cup quarter-final with French favourites Stade Francais.

The Falcons coach was forced to name his starting XV yesterday for tomorrow's game at the Parc des Princes and, with Wilkinson struggling to recover from a long-term knee problem, Dave Walder will deputise in the number ten shirt.

Wilkinson could still be on the bench though and, with Andrew not having to name his substitutes until an hour before kick-off, the World Cup winner will undergo a last-gasp fitness test tomorrow afternoon.

He will be joined by Welsh flanker Colin Charvis and club joint-captain Ian Peel as Newcastle give three of their most experienced players the chance to take part in the biggest game in the club's history.

"Jonny is no more than 50-50 at the moment," admitted Andrew, who has had to name a below-strength front row in the absence of both Peel and Argentinian prop Galo Alvarez Quinones.

"He's done part of our training this week. He hasn't done some of it, but he's taken part in a lot. We'll just have to wait a little bit longer and see how he is.

"Realistically, it's probably a week sooner than we would have hoped - and the same applies to Colin.

"Ian is probably even less than 50-50 and having absentees like Charvis, Peel and (Semo) Sititi will undoubtedly hit us."

Wilkinson's recurring knee problem means he has played just 34 minutes of rugby in the last 11 weeks, and his previous attempt at a comeback was cut short when he was stretchered off the field against Harlequins.

But his presence alone would give his team-mates a massive psychological boost as they look to overcome a Stade Francais side who have made the last eight of the Heineken Cup in each of the last five seasons.

"I don't know what he's expecting to do," admitted fellow World Cup winner, Australian Matt Burke. "But he's coming away with us and that's good.

"If he plays, great. If he doesn't, it's a positive sign that he's there. He's a key figure in the club and he'll feature somehow over in France.

"It's difficult for him because, when you have a prize like this game in the Heineken Cup to aim for, it spurs you on to get back on the field much quicker."

Burke has had injury problems of his own since joining the Falcons at the start of the season but, after making his first appearance for two months in last weekend's defeat to Bath, the full-back will return to the starting line-up tomorrow.

Burke's return sees Michael Stephenson revert to his preferred position of left wing and, with England centre Jamie Noon taking over the captain's armband, Newcastle's backline is almost at full strength.

The same cannot be said of the forwards though and, against one of the most formidable packs in the club game, Andrew accepts that his side might struggle to win the lion's share of the ball.

"Stade Francais' strength is clearly in the forwards and they have one of the best packs in Europe," he said. "It's a big ask for our boys, but we're good at handling adversity."

"Our Heineken Cup campaign so far has been littered with problems, but we went down to Newport without a hooker earlier this season and still won."

Newcastle: Burke, May, Noon, Mayerhofler, Stephenson, Walder, Charlton; Isaacson, Long, Ward, Parling, Grimes, McCarthy, Harris, Dowson. Replacements (from): Peel, Wilson, Thompson, Gross, Charvis, Taione, Grindal, J Wilkinson, M Wilkinson, Flood, Tait.