Bath Rugby will be without centre Max Ojomoh for this weekend’s Gallagher Premiership clash against Exeter Chiefs, following a calf injury sustained on Saturday. However, encouraging news from the club’s medical team suggests Ojomoh’s recovery is progressing faster than expected, with a likely return to the pitch in a few weeks.
In a midweek press conference, Bath’s head of rugby, Rassie van Graan, confirmed that fullback Tom de Glanville and locks Charlie Ewels and Ewan Richards will also miss the Round Nine match between two top play-off contenders.
“Max underwent scans and medical evaluations, and thankfully, the injury isn’t severe,” van Graan explained. “We’re optimistic he’ll be back playing within weeks. He’s a vital player for us, so this is positive news, although he will miss this weekend’s game.”
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Ojomoh, who recently earned player of the match honors for England against Argentina in the Autumn internationals, remains a strong candidate for the upcoming 2026 Six Nations. Van Graan was quick to reassure fans that Ojomoh’s injury will not jeopardize his international chances.
“Initially, when Max went down, it looked quite serious. Rory Murray, our head of medical, was very concerned,” van Graan said. “But the MRI results were much better than feared. He might be back training next week or the week after. Soft tissue injuries are unpredictable until the player starts running, but the outlook is much more encouraging now.”
De Glanville’s injury resulted from a high-speed collision with a post while attempting to stop Northampton’s Tommy Freeman from scoring. Van Graan shared details of the incident, adding: “That was a nasty impact. We lost Jaco Coetzee last season from a similar clash. Tom will be sidelined for several weeks.”
“Watching the footage in slow motion shows how brutal the hit was. Initially, we thought his back was injured, but it turns out to be a calf contusion caused by contact with the post. While bruising of that kind can take time to heal, it’s somewhat better news than we first expected.”
Unfortunately, the outlook is less positive for England international and former Bath captain Charlie Ewels. Ewels is battling a leg infection that has worsened since earlier this month, forcing him out of contention for the Champions Cup match against Toulon.
“Charlie has been to specialists for further assessment and won’t be available for an extended period,” van Graan said. “He’s a key player and the glue that holds our team together. He commands the line-out and brings invaluable experience. It’s a tough blow, but his health must take precedence over rugby.”
Adding to Bath’s lock concerns, Ewan Richards remains sidelined with an ankle injury sustained in the Newcastle match before Christmas. Van Graan commented: “Ewan hasn’t started running yet. We hope to have him back in some capacity later this week, then we will take things from there.”
On a brighter note, scrum-half Bernard van der Linde, winger Will Muir, and number eight Alfie Barbeary have all returned to strong training form and are in contention for selection against Exeter Chiefs.