Will Stuart: England and Bath prop ruled out for long spell with ruptured Achilles tendon

Bath and England prop Will Stuart is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a ruptured Achilles tendon, according to Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan. Stuart was forced off in the second half of Saturday's Champions Cup win against Munster and will require surgery, which is expected to take place over the next few weeks.

The extent of Stuart's injury means that he will be out for an "indefinite period", with Van Graan saying it's a case of every injury being different. For a prop, the load on their legs is significant, and Stuart has had his fair share of injuries throughout his career.

Stuart has 53 caps for England and was also part of the British and Irish Lions squad this summer. He was a key player for Bath last season, helping the club win the Premiership title. Despite being out for an extended period, Van Graan believes Stuart will have a strong support system to aid in his recovery.

The news is a significant blow to Stuart's campaign, with Bath returning to Champions Cup action on Sunday against Toulon. Flanker Guy Pepper and winger Will Muir are also facing further setbacks with injuries, with Pepper set to miss the next few weeks due to an ankle injury and Muir seeing his return further delayed because of a calf injury.

Meanwhile, England centre Ollie Lawrence is back in full training along with number eight Alfie Barbeary.

OMG this is so unlucky for Will Stuart! 53 caps for England, and he's gonna be out for ages? at least his support system is strong, thats good news but what about the upcoming matches? Bath vs Toulon on Sunday, can they still win without their star prop? Pepper and Muir are also injured, so it's like a domino effect any news on the injury rehab process for Stuart tho?

idk what's the point of all these injuries i mean i know sports are supposed to be tough and all that but it's like they're just asking for trouble. my aunt has this friend who's a massage therapist and she always says that the key to avoiding injuries is to stretch and stuff, idk if it really works but it can't hurt, right? anyway back to rugby... have you ever seen a game live? i went to this concert last weekend and it was amazing!

This is bad news for Stuart's career ... he was having a great season too, helped Bath win the Premiership title . It's tough for him, especially since he's had his share of injuries before, but at least he's got his support system to get him through this . The team's gonna have to regroup and find a way to adapt without him . Hopefully, Guy Pepper and Will Muir will make a speedy recovery too ... fingers crossed for the guys who are out with injuries !

omg this is so bad news for will stuart!!! he was looking good after coming back from injury last season and now this his absence will definitely be felt at bath especially with the champions cup coming up hopefully he can get a quick recovery though and be back to 100% soon

Aww, poor Will Stuart ... ruptured Achilles tendon, yikes! He was so hyped for the season and now he's gonna be out for a loooong time ... props are already dealing with so much leg stress, it's like they're carrying the weight of the team on their own . Hope his surgery goes well and he recovers super fast ! And btw, Guy Pepper and Will Muir are also struggling with injuries ... at least Ollie Lawrence is back in training !

OMG this is so bad for Will Stuart, i mean, he's already struggling with injuries and now an Achilles tendon rupture? that's like, super unlucky . I remember watching him play last season and he was literally unstoppable on the pitch, but props are notorious for their leg issues . Johann van Graan is being realistic though, every injury is different and you can't predict how long it'll take to recover. Hopefully he'll have a solid support system in place to help him get back to top form . Bath's gonna need some serious reinforcements for the rest of the season, especially with Pepper and Muir out

Ugh, I'm getting so frustrated with these injury updates ! Can't even make up their minds what's going on with Stuart's ankle... first ruptured Achilles tendon, now it's like it was just a minor tweak? Anyway, prop injuries are already bad enough for players like Stuart who have taken so much punishment throughout their careers. A lengthy spell on the sidelines is gonna set him back big time and impact his chances of being selected for England . Hope he gets the support he needs to recover quickly... fingers crossed!

omg what a bummer for will stuart he was lookin so strong this season gotta feel bad for him now prop injuries r always tough to deal w/ i mean, u gotta take care of that achilles tendon or it can ruin ur career lol 53 caps is crazy btw but hopefully he gets the support he needs and comes back stronger

ugh my heart cant belive will stuart got ruptured achilles tendon he was lookin so good last season helpin bath win premiership title and england too 53 caps for england? that's insane but now hes out for an indefinate period that sucks cuz bath is playin champions cup against toulon on sunday and stuart wont be able to make it peper and muir too got injured now hope oliver lawrence can carry the team though

Ugh, another pro athlete gets hurt . I mean, I feel bad for Will Stuart and all, but can't they just get some better treatment out there? Like, have you seen those new types of knee pads they're using now? Shouldn't that help prevent injuries or something?

And what's up with the medical staff? Can't they see a problem coming from a mile away? Stuart's had issues before and now this happens again... it's like he was just begging for trouble. I know injuries happen, but come on.

Anyway, hope Will recovers quickly and doesn't lose his mojo completely . But seriously, can't we find better ways to prevent these kinds of injuries? Or at least better training methods to help the players build up their strength and endurance?

man, this is not great news for Will Stuart he's gonna be out for ages and that's just the way it is sometimes, injuries happen and you gotta deal with 'em but still, 53 caps for England? that's a shame, he was on fire last season and now it looks like he'll miss the next few rounds of Champions Cup, Bath's chances are pretty much gone without him Guy Pepper and Will Muir getting injured too is not ideal, they were key players for their respective teams but at least Ollie Lawrence and Alfie Barbeary are back in training that's a positive, fingers crossed they can stay healthy for the rest of the season

man this is not good news for will stuart hope he recovers soon 53 caps for england and still getting hurt it's like his body can't take a break lol ouch to the achilles tendon that's gotta hurt so much i hope john van graan's right about him having a strong support system though that'll definitely help with recovery meanwhile, guys pepper and muir are also out which is even worse at least oliver lawrence and alfie barbeary are getting back to full training though fingers crossed for stuart's surgery and speedy recovery!

Ugh this is so bad news for Bath and Stuart he was looking sharp last season after that Premiership win and now this a ruptured Achilles tendon can be super tricky to come back from, not just in terms of the physical rehab but also mentally...I hope he gets the best support and surgery ASAP so he's back on the pitch as soon as possible