Bath Rugby’s medical team has provided a detailed injury update ahead of their forthcoming Gallagher Premiership Round Two match against Exeter Chiefs, scheduled for Friday night.
England international winger Henry Arundell has returned to training after missing the previous game at The Twickenham Stoop due to a minor back issue. However, his participation in Friday’s match remains uncertain as he continues to manage back discomfort. Bath’s head of rugby, Johann van Graan, commented: “Henry was part of training today. He is struggling a bit with his back so will make a decision later in the week whether he will play on Friday night.
“If you go 7-1 or 6-2, you want to make sure your backs can stay on the field for 80 minutes and, ultimately, we don’t want to put a player on the field who is not 100% right. So we’ll see how he gets through the week.
“Obviously, he is a very important player for us, but if he isn’t 100%, we are going to back our squad as we have done before.”
Here is the full injury status of key players:
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Sam Underhill: The England flanker suffered a bicep tear during the recent match against Harlequins and will undergo surgery this week. Van Graan confirmed the injury in Tuesday’s press conference, noting that Underhill will face several months out of action due to the operation.
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Jamie Bhatti: The Scotland loosehead prop fractured his arm in a pre-season match against Glasgow Warriors and will be sidelined for several months.
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Will Muir: Continuing rehabilitation from shoulder surgery performed over the summer, Muir’s return date remains indefinite.
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Louie Hennessey: The Welsh centre injured his foot in a pre-season fixture against Bedford Blues. He is expected to resume team training at the beginning of October.
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Vilikesa Sela: The England A tighthead prop suffered a toe injury during pre-season training and will miss the initial run of Gallagher Premiership games, targeting a return in late November.
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Ben Spencer: England scrum half and Bath’s club captain has resumed team training following shoulder surgery in late July and is anticipated to be available for selection by mid-October.
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Thompson Cowan: The flanker is gradually returning to full training after an ACL injury sustained in February 2026, with a playing comeback planned for the autumn Gallagher Premiership Rugby Cup period.
Bath Rugby will be closely monitoring these players’ recoveries as they aim to field a competitive squad against Exeter Chiefs in what promises to be a compelling encounter between last season’s semi-finalists.