Bath duo Peter Short and Stuart Hooper out for season

Short made a vital second-half tackle on breaking Quins skipper Chris Robshaw

Bath's second-row options are stretched to the limit with Peter Short and Stuart Hooper out for the season.

Regular lock Hooper started on the flank in the 19-15 win over Harlequins but lasted only 20 minutes before breaking his arm.

Second-row Short, in his 100th league game for Bath, was helped from the pitch late on with a torn hamstring.

But the club are confident back-row trio Lewis Moody, Luke Watson and Simon Taylor are closing in on returns.

Bath head coach Steve Meehan told BBC Somerset: "It's unfortunate because they (Short and Hooper) were both playing very well and I'm sure they would have liked to have seen the season out."

We're a little bit thin in regards of numbers to pick from, but at the same time Ben Skirving, Josh Ovens and Guy Mercer are doing very, very well

Steve Meehan

Short is out of contract in the summer and, like the departing Shontayne Hape who requires knee surgery, his injury means he may have played his last game for Bath after arriving at the club in 2005.

However Meehan was more positive over the returns of Moody, Watson and Taylor, adding: "They're all very close. If we don't see them all this weekend, I'm sure we will see at least one of them, and we'll see the others in the next couple of weeks.

"It's a little bit thin in regards of numbers to pick from, but at the same time Ben Skirving, Josh Ovens and Guy Mercer are doing very, very well and we're really happy about their form."

Bath will be relying on the veteran duo of Danny Grewcock and Ignacio Fernandez-Lobbe for the majority of the remaining three games of the regular campaign, as they try to cement a spot in the top six and secure Heineken Cup qualification.

Argentine Fernandez-Lobbe is 36, while former England international Grewcock is 38 and will be retiring from rugby at the end of the season.