Gloucester Rugby faces a significant setback after confirming that Welsh international centre Max Llewellyn will be sidelined until late in the 2025/26 season. This news delivers a serious blow to the Cherry and Whites’ ambitions in both the Gallagher Premiership and the Investec Champions Cup.
Further compounding the problem, England one-cap international centre Will Joseph has also sustained an ankle injury during Gloucester’s convincing 34-14 victory against Castres Olympique in the Champions Cup opener. While the full extent of Joseph’s injury is still under assessment, his return is not expected anytime soon.
Losing both their first and second-choice outside centres leaves Gloucester’s squad, managed by director of rugby George Skivington, under immense pressure over the coming months. Joseph joined Gloucester this summer from Harlequins as a replacement for Scottish international Chris Harris, who has since moved to Bath. With Ollie Lawrence’s surprising early return from injury affecting Bath’s lineup, Harris has seen limited game time this season.
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In Gloucester’s upcoming Champions Cup fixture at Munster, Skivington will rely on promising 18-year-old Will Knight. Highly rated by defence coach Dom Waldouck, Knight has drawn comparisons to a young Will Greenwood—an England World Cup winner and British and Irish Lion. Though Knight’s potential is undeniable, his early exposure to such high-level competition is unexpected.
Llewellyn’s absence also hits Wales hard, as head coach Steve Tandy had plans to utilize him during the 2026 Six Nations. Llewellyn appeared in three of Wales’ four autumn internationals, starting against Argentina, Japan, and New Zealand before missing the South Africa game due to club commitments.
On a brighter note, Gloucester will welcome back vice-captain Arthur Clark, prop Jamal Ford-Robinson, winger Josh Hathaway, and number eight Jack Clement for the Munster match, strengthening the squad’s resources. Additionally, Will Butler has returned to full training, though he has limited experience at the top-flight level.
The club continues to manage a list of unavailable players including Will Butler, Josiah Edwards Giraud, Caolan Englefield, Will Joseph, Nepo Laulala, Max Llewellyn, Ben Loader, Jack Mann, Jack Singleton, and James Venter, underscoring the ongoing injury challenges facing Gloucester Rugby.