Jamie Roberts blow for Bath

Bath centre Jamie Roberts has been ruled out for four to six weeks with a fractured cheekbone sustained in the 37-32 victory over Harlequins on Saturday.

Roberts, a new recruit from Quins, suffered the injury while making a tackle in the closing stages of the Premiership encounter against his old club.

Bath director of rugby Todd Blackadder confirmed the news to Somerset Live: “I thought Jamie was outstanding. He just got a bit of a whack and has a little fracture on his cheekbone.

“We’re not sure how long it will take, hopefully nothing more than four to six weeks, but it could be even earlier.”

With regular deputy Max Clark still over a week away from a return as he recovers from a hamstring injury, it looks as if Blackadder may have no choice but to reshuffle his backline for Saturday’s visit of Northampton Saints.