Randall and Lane on track for Christmas return

Harry Randall has not played since the first Prem match of the season for Bristol

Bristol Bears hope to have England scrum-half Harry Randall and full-back Rich Lane back from injury over the Christmas period.

Randall has not played since the first Prem match of the season because of a hamstring injury that required surgery while Lane has yet to feature this campaign after also having an operation on a neck injury.

"Both remain ahead of schedule and are tracking towards returns over the Christmas period," a club statement said.

Winger Gabriel Ibitoye is expected to be available "early in the New Year" after suffering a "complex hamstring injury" during the same match against Leicester as Randall.

Bristol return to Prem action on Saturday with a fixture against league leaders Northampton (17:45 GMT) following the autumn international break.

The club has been suffering from a major injury crisis during the first block of the campaign, with them at one point without 15 backs in their squad.

Lock James Dun, who has not played since 17 October because of a shoulder issue is, like Ibitoye, "on course" to be available early in January.

Flanker Steven Luatua, prop George Kloska, back Max Pepper are still sidelined but expected back in the coming weeks, along with full-back Noah Heward, who has a "minor thigh injury".

Bristol's game against Saints is their first of nine between now and the end of January, with their Champions Cup campaign also kicking off next month.

Director of rugby Pat Lam said the autumn international break had allowed them to give more opportunities to the players fit or not away, and that he expected the squad depth to grow over the winter as more return.

"It's enabled us to put some work in with the group that we have," Lam told BBC Radio Bristol.

"Other players will step back in eventually but every week I'm expecting someone [else] to be available."