Gloucester Rugby will travel to face Munster Rugby on Saturday night in Round Two of the 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup without two key outside centres, putting their squad depth to the test. Director of Rugby George Skivington confirmed that one-cap England international Will Joseph and Wales regular Max Llewellyn are both on crutches and undergoing scans today due to knee and ankle injuries sustained in Gloucester’s 34-14 victory over Castres Olympique last weekend.
Adding to Gloucester’s challenges, star scrum-half Tomos Williams is mandated to rest this weekend in accordance with World Rugby regulations for players involved in the Autumn internationals. His deputy, Caolan Englefield, remains sidelined with a shoulder injury, further complicating the team’s options on the field and making victory in Cork a tougher prospect.
Skivington offered an update on the injured players, saying, “Max Llewellyn and Will Joseph are both on crutches after scans today. It’s not positive news, and we don’t expect them back in the next couple of weeks. Losing our two first-choice outside centres is tough, but we have recruited versatile backs and will explore options to fill those spots.”
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Considering alternatives to partner Seb Atkinson in midfield, Skivington noted, “Will Butler is back in training this week and regaining fitness, which is encouraging. Also, academy player Will Knight has featured strongly in the PREM Rugby Cup, and though stepping up to the scale of a Champions Cup match at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh is a big moment, he is ready to seize the opportunity.”
In somewhat positive news, full back Ben Redshaw, who was seen on crutches after sustaining an injury on Sunday, has been cleared of serious damage. “Ben was more cautious than seriously hurt," said Skivington. “We worked hard to get him fit after a broken foot in the summer, so it was important to take no risks.”
Off the field, flanker Deian Gwynne joins All Black prop Nepo Laulala on the suspended list. Gwynne received a three-match ban for making contact with the eye area of Castres lock Florent Vanverberghe during a ruck. Russian tighthead prop Kirill Gotovtsev remains a doubt for the match after suffering a hand injury in training.
On a brighter note, backrower Jack Clement is nearing a return following his ankle injury sustained in the opening game of the Gallagher Premiership season. Skivington emphasized the importance of the breakdown and expects Clement to strengthen the pack as Gloucester prepare for a tough battle against Munster.