Bristol Bears electric winger Noah Heward looks to have suffered a second sickening hamstring injury in the last 12 months, having only recently returned from a lengthy layoff for a similar issue.

Heward scored a scorching try in Saturday’s 74-14 win away at Ampthill in the fourth pool stage game of the Premiership Rugby Cup but injured his leg in the first half to be forced off the field. With 21 players on the Bears unavailable list last weekend through a combination of international call-ups and injuries, another injury set back is certainly unwanted.

Speaking after the game, Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam said: “Our main injury concern is Noah. Unfortunately, it looks like Noah Heward, he was sprinting in for a try, and the way he got tackled it looks like he has done another bad hamstring injury.

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"That’s just how it is with rugby, it is a physical sport. But when one door closes, another opens. We have Jack Bates coming back shortly, we have Siva Naulago coming back.

"You hope for the best and hope for the boys not getting injured but you just have to deal with it.”

Gabriel Ibitoye is also expected back from his minor hamstring injury potentially in time to face Bath at Ashton Gate in the final group stage game of the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Bristol play Bedford Blues at Goldington Road on Friday night in Round Five of the Premiership Rugby Cup looking to bank another win to give themselves the best possible chance of winning the competition.