Former England international Tom Palmer, one of the most experienced players in Europe, is set to remain in the Champions Cup after being registered by Bordeaux-Begles for their Pool 5 campaign.

The 37-year-old lock played in the tournament with Benetton Treviso last season, but has switched to his sixth major club to help former Wasps team mate Raphael Ibanez out of an injury problem at Bordeaux.

The two men played together in the Wasps side that won the European Cup in 2007. Palmer also won the Challenge Cup with Gloucester in 2015.

He made his European debut for Leeds Tykes against Rugby Parma in the Challenge Cup 15 years ago and has played at every level of European competition with Leeds, Wasps, Stade Francais Paris, Gloucester and Benetton Treviso. He has appeared 31 times in the European Cup, 36 times in the Challenge Cup, four times in the European Shield and four times in European Cup Play-Off Matches.

Palmer replaces the injured John Aliouat in the Bordeaux squad ahead of their opening game against Ulster Rugby at Stade Chaban-Delmas on Saturday. He is one of nine additional players added to squads for the opening round of matches in the two tournaments.

USA wing Takudzwa Ngwenya is set to return to European action after a two season break after signing for Brive from the San Diego Breakers. The 31-year-old wing, one of the fastest men to ever grace a rugby field, was a Challenge Cup winner with Biarritz Olympique in 2012 and scored 20 tries in 45 games in both tournaments for the Basque club.

Brive open their Pool 3 Challenge Cup account against Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade this weekend. Ngwenya takes over from Alifeleti Mafi in the squad.

Springbok back row star Willem Alberts is fit to resume for Stade Francais Paris and takes over from Antoine Burban.

The following players have been nominated by their clubs as additional players for the 2016/17 European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup tournaments. The players replaced in the club squads (maximum of 41 players) have been deregistered. (Nominations subject to Union approval)

CHAMPIONS CUP

ASM Clermont Auvergne
Additional Player: Nathan CHARLES
Nationality : Australia
Position : Hooker
Deregistered : John Ulugia

Bordeaux-Bègles
Additional Player: Tom PALMER
Nationality: England
Position: Second row
Deregistered: John Aliouat

Leicester Tigers
Additional Player: Tomas LEONARDI
Nationality: Argentina
Position: Back row
Deregistered: Michele Rizzo

Montpellier
Additional Player: Shalva MAUKASHVILI
Nationality: Georgia
Position: Hooker
Deregistered: Bismarck du Plessis

Zebre Rugby
Additional Player: Giovanni D’ONOFRIO
Nationality: Italy
Position: Wing
Deregistered: Kurt Baker

CHALLENGE CUP

Brive
Additional Player: Takudzwa NGWENYA
Nationality: USA
Position: Wing
Deregistered: Alifeleti Mafi

Grenoble
Additional Player: Dayna EDWARDS
Nationality: New Zealand
Position: Prop
Deregistered: Laurent Bouchet

Lyon
Additional Player: Didier TISON
Nationality: South Africa
Position: Back row
Deregistered: Virgile Bruni

Stade Francais Paris
Additional Player: Willem ALBERTS
Nationality: South Africa
Position: Back row
Deregistered: Antoine Burban

Each club may select three additional players during the course of the pool stage, one of whom must be a front row player. The nominated additional player will replace a registered member of the club's squad and no club will exceed 41 players at any time during the pool stages.

The deregistered player may return to the squad at a later date during the pool stage and replace the additional player he was originally replaced by. Clubs must ensure that the additional player has not been nominated in a match squad of another club in the same tournament during the current season.

The additional player will be eligible to play in the next round of pool matches if his nomination is received by EPCR by noon GMT on the Tuesday before the match. The player must have at least a three-month contract with the club.