Ospreys consider emergency signings after further additions to crippling injury list

They are being hammered in one area in particular

The Ospreys could need to bolster their front-row resources amid a blitz of injuries.

They will likely have to bring in at least one loan signing, possibly two, to ease a situation that has seen them deprived of the services of five players.

Gareth Thomas (knee) and Gheorghe Gajion (ankle) both suffered bumps in the 40-19 Heineken Champions Cup defeat by Racing 92.

They joined Rhodri Jones (shoulder), Tom Botha (lower leg) and Rhys Henry (shoulder) in the casualty room at Llandarcy.

It isn’t yet clear how long Thomas and Gajion will be sidelined for, but the Ospreys need to act quickly, with Ma’afu Fia, Nicky Smith and Wales Under-20s loosehead Jordan Walters the only fit props in their squad.

Their first port of call will be to look to borrow off the other regions.

But time is of the essence with Racing 92 to be played in Paris on Friday evening.

The Liberty Stadium team are also still waiting for an update on Wales centre Owen Watkin, who hurt a knee in the home encounter with Racing. He was booked for scans on Monday afternoon but the region’s medics will need to assess them before any bulletins are released.

Wayne Pivac will keen to learn of those results, too, with Wales’ coach set to name his Six Nations squad in barely five weeks and Jonathan Davies already ruled out by injury.

The injuries to Thomas, Gajion and Watkin mean the Ospreys have 15 players sidelined by injuries, while Dan Evans was red-carded last weekend and Justin Tipuric, Alun Wyn Jones and George North have yet to return after the World Cup.