Bath scrum-half Bernard van der Linde is expected to out until the start of 2026 because of a hamstring injury.

The 24-year-old moved to the club this summer from South African side Bulls and sustained the injury during a pre-season friendly against Worcester on Friday and has since had surgery.

Number eight Jaco Coetzee is also set to undergo “further tests” on an injury to his knee in she same match against the Warriors, having only just returned from a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury that kept him out since April.

Fly-half Ciaran Donoghue has had surgery on a knee injury during the friendly against Munster on 12 September, with no timeframe yet on how long he is due to be on the sidelines.