Will Muir returns from nine-month shoulder injury to start Bath's PREM Cup clash with Gloucester

Will Muir lines up on the left wing for Bath when Gloucester visit The Rec on Saturday in the PREM Rugby Cup, ending a nine-month absence caused by the shoulder injury he sustained during Bath’s Champions Cup semi-final defeat to Bordeaux-Bègles last May.

The England international scored two tries in that game before his season was cut short, and his recovery took longer than initially anticipated. Bath have built a side that blends experience with youth around his return, pairing Muir with former Ireland locks Quinn Roux and Ross Molony in a team that also features debutant loose-head Jacob Yates.

Jack Woods starts at full-back in the continued absence of Santi Carreras, whose season-ending injury has opened the door for the youngster to stake a claim as cover for Tom de Glanville.

Gloucester have made their own notable selection calls, handing ex-Ireland fly-half Ross Byrne his first start at ten since early January. Byrne featured as a replacement in the first two rounds of the Cup but had gone two months without any game time before this recall.

Tight-head Eliot Salt is set for his Gloucester debut after joining from Coventry in the summer, and four more potential first appearances are waiting on the visitors’ bench: on-loan prop Joe Cowell, Luca Woodyatt, Zac Jones, and Krystof Wood.

The pool standings give the fixture added edge. Gloucester sit second in Pool A with Muir’s Bath one point behind them in third, both chasing leaders Sale Sharks, who hold a three-point advantage at the top.

Bath Rugby: 1 Jacob Yates (debut), 2 Jasper Spandler, 3 Kieran Verden, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Ross Molony, 6 Ewan Richards (c), 7 George Timmins, 8 Arthur Green, 9 Tom Carr-Smith, 10 Ciaran Donoghue, 11 Will Muir, 12 Jack Harrison, 13 Charlie Griffin, 14 Tyler Offiah, 15 Jack Woods. Replacements: 16 Max Pearce, 17 Claudius Wheeler, 18 Marcos Camerlinckx, 19 Connor Treacey, 20 Jaco Coetzee, 21 Ieuan Davies, 22 Will Roue, 23 Austin Emens.

Gloucester Rugby: 1 Harrison Bellamy, 2 Kealan Freeman-Price, 3 Eliot Salt (debut), 4 Joe Joyce, 5 Jack Mann, 6 Harry Taylor (c), 7 James Venter, 8 Deian Gwynne, 9 Mikey Austin, 10 Ross Byrne, 11 Junior Denny, 12 Max Knight, 13 Josiah Edwards-Giraud, 14 Ben Redshaw, 15 Josh Hathaway. Replacements: 16 George Knowles, 17 Joe Cowell (debut), 18 Harry Wright, 19 Jack Gilbert, 20 Caio James, 21 Luca Woodyatt (debut), 22 Zac Jones (debut), 23 Krystof Wood (debut).