Bath have lost back row stalwarts Carl Fearns and Ben Skirving until the New Year after both players were told they require surgery.
It means the unbeaten Amlin Challenge Cup Pool 4 table-toppers will have to do without the two players for their back-to-back clashes Calvisano in Rounds 3 and 4 next month as they big to qualify for the knock-out stages.
Skirving featured in the away victories over Buchurest Wolves, 40-17, and Agen, 27-22, but has been sidelined with a thumb injury picked up in training. He will now follow Fearns, who has already had an operation on his injured ankle, in going under the surgeon's knife.
Both players are likely to be out for between 6-8 weeks, making the return of Scotland and British & Irish Lions No 8 Simon Taylor to full fitness very timely. Bath currently have Francois Louw on November international duty and have been forced to blood youngsters like Guy Mercer, Josh Ovens and Will Skuse in the back row.
Former England centre Dan Hipkiss could also be struggling to make the Calvisano matches next month after receiving a facial injury during the LV= Cup clash with the Dragons.
"We expect players to be out for periods of time because rugby's amazingly attritional now. We want to train hard to replicate games and that means there is not only the bang at the weekend, the players have the bang on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday too," said Bath forwards coach Neil Hatley.
