INJURY concerns are mounting at Worcester Warriors after a number of players were forced off in their 55-21 friendly victory over Hartpury.

New signings David Denton and Simon Kerrod as well as Luke Baldwin and Dewald Potgieter were replaced after suffering knocks in the pre-season opener at Sixways.

And head coach Carl Hogg fears his side may have picked up some “serious” injuries with just three weeks to go before the start of the Aviva Premiership season.

Hogg said he was unable to give details of the extent of the damage sustained to his players until they had been assessed.

But Denton, who joined Warriors from Bath this summer, was wearing a protective boot and strapping on his left leg after the match.

The flanker went off in the first half along with scrum-half Baldwin, who received treatment on his right arm, and tighthead prop Kerrod was helped off the field.

Warriors’ injury woes continued in the second period with forward Dewald Potgieter shaking his head as he went down the tunnel with ice on his left knee.

“Some people were taken off as a precaution but others might be a bit more serious,” Hogg said.

“But we have got to assess them.

“In pre-season games you tend to take one or two more bumps than you would normally do as your body naturally toughens up to the contact and collisions in the game.

“They are reasonably sore at the moment but until we get them assessed properly we don’t know what we are dealing with.”

Warriors are set to begin the campaign without versatile back Ryan Mills as a shoulder and hip problem is likely to rule him out for five weeks.

Hooker Niall Annett has got a hamstring injury which is expected to keep him out for up to three weeks.

There are also fears over forward Marco Mama’s fitness after he was seen on crutches at the Hartpury game.

Nick Schonert, Will Spencer and Ethan Waller were withdrawn from the 34-man squad to take on the Championship outfit after being initially named in the team announced on Friday. Perry Humphreys, Chris Pennell, Michael Dowsett, Alafoti Fa’osiliva, Max Stelling, Carl Kirwan and Gareth Milasinovich were also missing but the club have yet to confirm why they were not involved.

Hogg added: “There are concerns having had people come off.

“But some of them were precautionary as you don’t need to risk players staying out there too long in a pre-season game.

“We will get them in and assess them later and see where they sit.

“We had an opportunity with 34 players to chop and change but I think first and foremost it was about getting out there and seeing how physical we were as a group from one to 15 across both sides which will stand us in good stead.”