The Glasgow Warrior comes in for the injured Alasdair Strokosch, who will be examined by a specialist surgeon following eye socket damage, suffered in last weekend’s defeat to England at Twickenham.

A product of Douglas Academy in Milngavie and the West of Scotland club, Harley has played age-grade rugby for Scotland, being a mainstay of the Scotland under-20 team in 2009 and 2010 and has also represented Scotland A.

In Scotland’s one other change, Ross Ford returns at hooker in place of Dougie Hall, who sustained a knee injury in the Calcutta Cup match.

Hall and his Glasgow Warriors club-mate Pat MacArthur are both bracketed for the substitute hooker role with a decision to be made, pending Hall’s fitness, later this week.

And Johnson is in no doubt as to the task his side face in welcoming Italy to Murrayfield, fresh from the Azzurri’s victory over France in Rome.

“Italy’s victory against France in Rome was well-deserved and certainly didn’t surprise us,” said Johnson.

“It will be a true Test match this weekend and it would be great to have a big vocal Murrayfield crowd supporting the boys this weekend.”

SCOTLAND

15 Stuart Hogg (Glasgow Warriors)
14 Sean Maitland (Glasgow Warriors)
13 Sean Lamont (Glasgow Warriors)
12 Matt Scott (Edinburgh Rugby)
11 Tim Visser (Edinburgh Rugby)
10 Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors)
9 Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh Rugby)

1 Ryan Grant (Glasgow Warriors)
2 Ross Ford (Edinburgh Rugby)
3 Euan Murray (Worcester Warriors)
4 Richie Gray (Sale Sharks)
5 Jim Hamilton (Gloucester)
6 Robert Harley (Glasgow Warriors)
7 Kelly Brown (Saracens) captain
8 Johnnie Beattie (Montpellier)

Replacements
16 Dougie Hall (Glasgow Warriors) or Pat MacArthur (Glasgow Warriors)
17 Moray Low (Glasgow Warriors)
18 Geoff Cross (Edinburgh Rugby)
19 Alastair Kellock (Glasgow Warriors)
20 David Denton (Edinburgh Rugby)
21 Henry Pyrgos (Glasgow Warriors)
22 Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors)
23 Max Evans (Castres)