Harlequins delay Fin Baxter's return with Saracens derby pencilled in as comeback date

Harlequins head coach Jason Gilmore has confirmed that England loosehead prop Fin Baxter will not feature in the club’s Challenge Cup fixture against Vannes, with the Gallagher Premiership London derby against Saracens on Sunday, 25 January now targeted as his comeback date.

Baxter, 24, has been sidelined since scoring in Harlequins’ Champions Cup victory over Bayonne on 14 December 2024, having suffered a foot injury that subsequently required two operations. Gilmore said the decision to hold Baxter back for another week was a deliberate one, designed to give the loosehead maximum preparation time before returning to competitive action.

“We were looking at Fin this week, but we’re just going to punch another week of training into him, and then he will be available for Sarries,” Gilmore confirmed.

Baxter had been expected to feature against Vannes — who sit bottom of the Top 14 after losing all six of their matches this season — but Gilmore judged that the additional training block would serve his player better in the long run.

Gilmore also provided updates on several other injured squad members. Samoan tighthead Titi Lamositele is described as borderline for Harlequins’ trip to Exeter Chiefs at the end of the month, while Harry Williams and Ben Waghorn are both said to be nearing a return to fitness.

“Titi is kind of borderline maybe for the Exeter game. If not, he’ll be ready to go for the start of block two,” Gilmore added.

The Australian coach acknowledged that the improving injury picture represents a significant shift for the club, suggesting it is the healthiest his squad has looked in some time.

“I’m really comfortable with the way the squad’s sitting at the moment. We’ve got a lot to choose from,” he said. “Fin’s training really strongly; Harry Williams is just around the corner; Ben Waghorn should be back on the field next week.”

Gilmore was also keen to stress that a crowded selection pool raises standards rather than creating complications. “We don’t want to be handing jerseys out left, right, and centre — you’ve got to earn them. When you’ve got that, you’ve got training competitiveness and standards, and performance can be driven into gameplay.”