Illness has denied Bath three of their key backs for today's Guinness Premiership trip to Worcester – but Steve Meehan is confident his squad has enough depth to succeed at Sixways.

Full-back Nick Abendanon and winger Matt Banahan returned from England Saxons duty with a virus and have not been able to get a full week's training with the Bath squad.

And club captain Alex Crockett went down with sickness and diarrhoea on Tuesday and has not recovered well enough to take his place in the midfield.

As a result, head coach Meehan has moved winger Joe Maddock to full-back, brought Michael Stephenson and Andrew Higgins in on the wings and picked Eliota Fuimaono and Shontayne Hape together in midfield.

"It was a question of other guys having better preparation than those three during the week," said Meehan.

"We don't want to pick players who are maybe at 80 per cent – and all three have really been knocked around by their illnesses.

"I have looked at our backs in training this week – and a lot of them played together and played well at Sale in the EDF Energy Cup earlier this season.

"I know they were at 10 and 12 then, rather than 12 and 13, but Eliota and Shontayne played well together that night – and I don't see this selection as too big a deal.

"The guys will have Joey Maddock at the back chatting away, and then people like Higgins and Stephenson will come into the side wanting to prove a point. I think we have still got enough to come out and perform well and put Worcester under pressure."

And Meehan sees today's match as the ideal opportunity for players such as Higgins and Stephenson, who have managed just four Premiership starts between them all season.

"Stevo has not played a lot of rugby and nor has Higgy," he said. "So this is a good opportunity for both of those guys to go out and make a statement. I know they are both looking forward to it.

"As for the midfield, I am sure that will be OK. They have worked really well together in training and they will be comfortable."

With club skipper Crockett and team captain Michael Lipman (head injury) both ruled out, scrum-half Michael Claassens will captain the side this afternoon.

And if Bath are to triumph, much is likely to depend on the performance of Claassens and Butch James at half-back, with Meehan naming an experienced pack which includes David Flatman, Duncan Bell, Justin Harrison and Andy Beattie. Worcester include Gloucester fly-half Wille Walker.

Worcester: C Latham; R Gear, D Rasmussen, L Crichton, M Garvey; J Carlisle, R Powell; M Mullan, A Lutui, T Taumoepeau, G Rawlinson, W Bowley, T Wood, P Sanderson (capt), K Horstmann. Reps: D Morris, C Fortey, C Gillies, N Talei, M Powell, W Walker, A Grove.

Bath: J Maddock; M Stephenson, S Hape, E Fuimaono, A Higgins; B James, M Claassens (capt); D Flatman, P Dixon, D Bell, J Harrison, S Hooper, A Beattie, J Scaysbrook, D Browne. Reps: R Hawkins, A Jarvis, J Fa'amatuainu, C Goodman, S Bemand, S Berne, T Cheeseman.