Tom Wood will be left out by Worcester Warriors

Wood leaves Worcester to join Northampton at the end of the season

Worcester Warriors back-row Tom Wood will be left out of the starting line-up for Friday's game with Newcastle following his sending-off against Bath.

Wood has been cleared to play in the game by a Rugby Football Union panel.

But director of rugby Mike Ruddock is running out of patience with his squad who have picked up the most yellow cards in this season's Premiership.

"We do have disciplinary standards that we expect the players to maintain," he told BBC Hereford and Worcester.

"Tom apologised to his team-mates and the management after the game.

"Even though he was provoked, we've asked our players not to respond in any way to that sort of provocation."

Prop Matt Mullan will return from England training but Ruddock says he too could be on the bench alongside Wood.

"We have done our prep on Monday and Tuesday, our video analysis, on-the-field training, scrummaging and line-outs, all our plays really," added Ruddock.

"Even though Matt knows most of our systems there are particular differences from week-to-week, so he will probably be on the bench."