Edinburgh coach Andy Robinson has kept his options open for Friday's Magners League home showdown with Cardiff Blues as he anticipates another chance for his squad's strength in depth to come into play.

Robinson is without seven players and has called national academy forwards Sean Crombie and Fraser McKenzie into a 27-man squad for the Murrayfield fixture.

His side stand fourth, a place above their opponents and just a point off second place.

Edinburgh will be without Allan Jacobsen (groin), Ross Ford (ankle), Roland Reid (hamstring) and Alan MacDonald (fractured cheekbone), while Greig Laidlaw, Ally Warnock and Scott Newlands are in Hong Kong with Scotland, competing in the IRB Sevens.

Robinson said: "With three of our first-team squad players away in Hong Kong and a further four ruled out through injury, we have had to look at our options.

"But this situation creates an opportunity for someone else to come in and seize their chance. One of the key factors behind our positive results so far this season has been the level of competition for places in the side."

Robinson can still call on the likes of Mike Blair, Nick De Luca, Hugo Southwell and Simon Webster, giving him a strong back division.

But he warned that Welsh sides such as Cardiff could now feed on the feel-good factor brought about by the national team's Grand Slam in the Six Nations Championship.

Robinson said: "Welsh rugby is enjoying a real high at the moment after the Grand Slam success of a couple of weeks ago and this will impact on all the country's professional teams.

"But we need to make sure we pay attention to detail on the night and maintain our collective concentration levels if we are to maintain our winning run."

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