Ospreys coach Sean Holley is left counting the cost of too much rugby after his side's 19-17 defeat to Northampton in the LV= Cup.
The severely depleted hosts, without 29 players through injury and international call-ups, trailed 13-0 at the end of the opening quarter but fought back to take a 17-16 lead thanks to tries from Richard Hibbard and Jonathan Spratt.
But Northampton fly-half Stephen Myler slotted his fourth penalty of the game with 10 minutes to go to seal the win for Saints.
Ospreys' injury woes were increased before the game as full-back Barry Davies withdrew with a back spasm while captain Ian Gough, lock Filo Tiatia and hooker Hibbard were forced from the field during the match.
Holley said: "I think we are on our last legs now. It's very, very difficult.
"We had some boys out there who had not played at the Liberty for a while and some of the execution and some of the skills were very disappointing.
"We were down to our ninth and tenth-choice second rows at the end of the game so what do you expect?
"Ian Gough, our captain and last standing second row, has done his ribs, Filo has come off injured, Hibbard has a neck injury and Barry Davies had a back spasm and we can't afford to lose players of that calibre at this stage of the season."
The Welsh side face Bath next weekend in their second group game and Holley admitted Tiatia and Gough look certain to miss that game.
"Filo will definitely be out, he's 39 years old for goodness sake," he said.
"Even with our second row situation I can't see Ian Gough lining up next week."
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