Bristol Bears' Louis Rees-Zammit ruled out of Gallagher PREM clash with Gloucester as Ellis Genge injury deepens crisis

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Bristol Bears will be without Louis Rees-Zammit for the Friday night PREM game away to Gloucester and will also have to make do without Ellis Genge. Rees-Zammit is still nursing a foot injury, while Genge will miss the clash at Kingsholm after suffering a head knock in the win over Exeter Chiefs. More than 10 players are currently sidelined in what has become a huge injury crisis for the club.

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Bristol Bears’ Louis Rees-Zammit has been ruled out of a clash against his former side Gloucester in the Gallagher PREM match on Friday night at Kingsholm, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

The Wales international signed for the Bears in the summer after giving up on his American Football dream.

Rees-Zammit made the shock move to leave Gloucester in January 2024 to pursue a career in the NFL but is now back in the PREM with Pat Lam’s side.

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The 24-year-old scored 42 tries in 77 appearances during his time at Gloucester but will miss out on the chance to take on the Cherry and Whites with a foot injury he picked up in the defeat to Saracens two weeks ago.

He is just one of a number of players Lam is unable to call upon in what has become a scarcely believable injury crisis at Bristol.

Thirteen backs are missing for the game against their West Country rivals, while they have been dealt a further blow after prop Ellis Genge suffered a head knock in the gritty win over Exeter Chiefs last time out.

"He [Rees-Zammit] isn’t in consideration yet," Lam said. "He is one of the 13. We have only got two more games in sense of the PREM, which is our priority at the moment, and then we have the November window [for the Quilter Nations Series].

"We are hoping in the next couple of weeks, maybe Bath, but certainly not this week. We have two options. Sit here and cry or get on with it. And only the players in the room know what we went through to get that win last week.

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"Ellis took a knock to the shin, so I took him off. Then the independent doctor called out that he needed to undergo an HIA, which surprised him because he doesn’t wear a mouthguard.

"Basically, he failed the process, so he is pretty frustrated, which means that he is ruled out for this week."

Utility back Tom Jordan was shown a red card in the victory over Exeter and was handed a four-match ban, reduced to three on completion of World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme.

That means he will miss, at the very least, the matches against Gloucester and Bath in the PREM and the clash with Bath in the PREM Rugby Cup.

Such is the extent of the crisis, Lam admitted his side "couldn’t even train properly" in the lead-up to the win over Exeter, which, given the circumstances, he described as "one of the highlights" of his tenure.

In a bid to ease the strain, the 57-year-old head coach has re-signed US Eagles winger Toby Fricker, who was on his stag do when he received the call.

"I found Toby on his stag do," Lam continued. "So he has rocked into training. He has obviously been preparing with USA Rugby, and he has managed to join us. A little bit dusty, but he passed his medical, so we have managed to get some numbers."

Bristol are currently fifth in the table with two wins from three, while Gloucester are without a victory in ninth.

Watch and stream the Gallagher PREM, Quilter Nations Series and Premiership Women's Rugby on TNT Sports and discovery+

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