There are 16 players out of the clash with Bath on Friday – and crisis deepens
10:36, 21 Jan 2026Updated 11:09, 21 Jan 2026
Freddie Thomas of Gloucester Rugby is tackled by Nathan Jibulu (L) and Bevan Rodd of Sale Sharks . (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)(Image: )
Gloucester Rugby could welcome back Scottish number eight Jack Mann from a long-term knee injury to ever so slightly ease the burden on a severely under-strain squad ahead of the West Country derby with Bath on Friday night.
However, should Mann be drafted in to face the reigning Gallagher PREM champions, it will likely be a like-for-like swap with number eight Jack Clement, who failed a HIA on Saturday, having scored an impressive try in the 31-14 defeat to Toulon to exit the Champions Cup. With the standard 10-day Return to Play turnaround on HIAs, Clement looks set to miss the derby.
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Mann, 26, has so far played just four games for Gloucester since arriving from Glasgow Warriors in the summer after suffering a knee injury back in October.
While Tomos Williams returned from a leg injury last weekend to ease the strain on the Cherry and Whites’ scrum-half resources, and new hooker signing Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia has now had two weeks to bed in after arriving from New Zealand to replenish the front row, a new area of concern has emerged – the second row.
On Saturday night, Gloucester named a squad with no specialist second rows on the bench, with just Matias Alemanno and 22-year-old Danny Eite starting, the latter playing his first game in nearly a year after recovering from a serious knee injury. Both men were asked to go 80 minutes against the French side, with young flanker Deian Gwynne covering lock after a week of preparation.
GLOUCESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 13: Jack Mann of Gloucester Rugby poses for a portrait during the squad photocall for the 2025-2026 Gallagher Prem Rugby season at Kingsholm Stadium on August 13, 2025 in Gloucester, England. (Photo by Barrington Coombs/Getty Images)(Image: Getty Images)
Gloucester director of rugby George Skivington said: “Nobody else is fit in the second row. Cam [Jordan] and Freddie [Thomas] both got hurt in the last game.
“I can’t tell you what is going on with this injury stuff; it is bonkers.
Providing an update on Thomas’ hamstring injury, Skivington said: “Freddie’s had some scans. It doesn’t look horrendous, but he doesn’t feel great. So, from that point of view, I think he’d be hoping to go [with Wales] but I don’t think he’ll make the start of the Six Nations. It’s not horrendous from what we can see.”
Thomas has been named in Steve Tandy’s Wales squad for the Six Nations, but looks likely to miss the opening game against England. Elsewhere in the Gloucester squad, England international second row Arthur Clark is still suspended following his altercation away at Newcastle Falcons.
Looking ahead to Bath in this one-off PREM game, Skivington said: “It is all backs against the wall games now. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. Bath are the kings of the fundamentals. Their power game is huge, their kicking game is huge, their setpiece is huge, and they just batter you down and then score some nice tries. The challenge next week is massive, but we have got to learn quickly.”
Gloucester Rugby’s unavailable list from last Friday:
Seb Blake, Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia, Arthur Clark, Josiah Edwards-Giraud, Caolan Englefield, Jamal Ford-Robinson, Jack Innard, Cam Jordan, Will Joseph, Max Llewellyn, Ben Loader, Ben Redshaw, Rob Russell, Jack Singleton, Freddie Thomas, Ollie Thorley