Exeter back row Dave Ewers should be cleared fit to play in the Chiefs' next Premiership match against Worcester Warriors, according to director of rugby Rob Baxter.
Ewers missed Exeter's 20-12 win over Bristol Bears in last Friday's battle of the top two at Ashton Gate due to a calf injury, but looks set to feature in the home match against Warriors.
Providing an update on Ewers, who has played 14 of Chiefs' 17 league games so far this season, scoring four tries, Baxter said: “He has just got a bit of a sore calf, he soldiered through with it a bit last week.
“We took him off relatively early last weekend [in the 43-13 victory over Wasps at Sandy Park] when we felt the game had gone the way we needed it to.
“He was still just feeling it at the start of the week [building up to Bristol] and with a short turnaround, with limited training sessions we wanted to be able to announce a team that could train together and as it proved that worked well for us.”
Despite being the rock of the Chiefs pack this season, Ewers' absence was filled impressively by Sam Skinner in the win over rivals Bristol.
The Scotland international was on the trysheet for Chiefs as they vie for a for a home semi-final in the Premiership.
Baxter added: “Our lineout, with Sam Skinner in the back row, worked fantastically for us, I think we had a 100 per cent success rate and you can't ask any more than that.
“It denied Bristol the ball and kept us in possession so I thought that element worked well.
“We are fully hopeful that Dave will be back with 100 per cent fitness for the next round.”
After their Champions Cup exit to Leinster, Exeter's defence of their double-winning season in 2020 now comes solely down to the Premiership.
With five rounds remaining, the Chiefs will face Worcester, London Irish, Newcastle, Northampton and Sale Sharks.
