Bath centre Jamie Roberts has been ruled out for four to six weeks with a fractured cheekbone sustained in the 37-32 victory over Harlequins on Saturday.
Roberts, a new recruit from Quins, suffered the injury while making a tackle in the closing stages of the encounter against his old club.
Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder confirmed the news to Somerset Live: “I thought Jamie was outstanding. He just got a bit of a whack and has a little fracture on his cheekbone.
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“We’re not sure how long it will take, hopefully nothing more than four to six weeks, but it could be even earlier.”
With regular deputy Max Clark still over a week away from a return as he recovers from a hamstring injury, it looks as if Blackadder may have no choice but to reshuffle his backline for Saturday’s visit of Northampton Saints.