Clash between Gemma Gibbons and Natalie Powell

At the Grand Prix in Havana Olympic silver medallist Gemma Gibbons (GBR) and the fighter who beat Team GB's London 2012 hero to win the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Natalie Powell (GBR) could clash in the U78kg quarter-finals on Sunday in pool D. Powell is back after a knee injury.

As two of Britain’s most consistent performers, Gibbons and Powell have posted similar results on the IJF World Judo Tour with scalps over almost all of the categories top names. Powell, 25, who is returning from a 10-week injury lay-off (knee), is ranked eighth in the world while Londoner Gibbons, 29, is ranked 16th which would be enough to earn a place at the invite-only World Judo Masters in Guadalajara, Mexico in May.

Powell leads their head-to-head series 1-0 and a victory for either judoka – if the contest materialises (Powell will have to surpass Talarn of Spain or Nolberto of Guam while Gibbons must overcome Cuban Castillo) – along with a medal-winning display would undoubtedly be the most significant result yet in their quest for Olympic qualification. 

Powell, 25, is back in action at the Havana Grand Prix. She has been absent for 10 weeks and said: "That nice little break has made me come back a lot stronger."

Powell wants success in Cuba ahead of the Paris Grand Slam on 6-7 February. The 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medalist's main rival for the only Team GB slot available for Rio is London 2012 Games silver-medalist Gibbons. Powell is currently eighth in the International Judo Federation rankings, with Gibbons 16th.

But mid-Wales bred Powell acknowledges much can change before selection for Rio is finalised and says the competition with Gibbons has its benefits. "In the long term it just pushes you to get better," said Powell. "It would be great to be on top of the podium in Cuba. That's obviously my aim, but Paris is the main one (for rankings points)."

Powell says her recent injury lay-off was the result of an arduous 2015, adding: "Looking at it now, having a rest was probably the best thing for me. I had such a busy year last year and I probably did a bit too much and it's probably why I got injured."

The category U78kg is led by #1 seed Kayla Harrison, the current Olympic champion. She will fight the winner of Kaliema Antomarchi of Cuba and former Cuban Yahima Ramirez for years fighting for Portugal. Olympic number five Abigel Joo is back in the scene as leader of Pool B.

Luise Malzahn is the highest female athlete of the German equipe, ranked fifth she leads pool C.

Seeded judoka U78kg in Havana

1. HARRISON Kayla (USA, WRL1): Masters Morocco 2015: 1. place, Olympic Games London 2012: 1. place, Grand Slam Tokyo 2015: 1. place

2. MALZAHN Luise (GER, WRL5): Grand Slam Abu Dhabi 2014: 1. place, World Championships Seniors 2015: 3. place, Grand Prix Samsun 2014: 1. place

3. POWELL Natalie (GBR, WRL8): Masters Morocco 2015: 2. place, Grand Prix Tashkent 2015: 1. place, Grand Prix Astana 2014: 1. place

4. JOO Abigel (HUN, WRL12): Grand Slam Moscow 2013: 1. place, Grand Slam Baku 2013: 1. place, Masters Tyumen 2013: 2. place

5. TURKS Victoriia (UKR, WRL14): Grand Slam Abu Dhabi 2014: 2. place, Grand Prix Zagreb 2015: 2. place, Grand Prix Tblisi 2014: 2. place

6. GIBBONS Gemma (GBR, WRL16): Olympic Games London 2012: 2. place, Grand Prix Ulaanbaatar 2015: 1. place, Grand Prix Dusseldorf 2013: 1. place

7. MAZOUZ Sarah Myriam (GAB, WRL17): African Seniors Championships 2015: 2. place, African Championships Vacoa Fenix 2014: 2. place, Grand Prix Ulaanbaatar 2015: 2. place

8. GALEONE Assunta (ITA, WRL18): Grand Slam Baku 2014: 2. place, Grand Prix Tblisi 2014: 1. place, Grand Prix Astana 2014: 3. place