Michael Claassens will miss Bath's Guinness Premiership derby with Bristol on Saturday after being knocked out at Gloucester.

The scrum-half was left dazed after a clash of heads at a first-minute ruck and had to be replaced by Scott Bemand.

And Bemand will take over the No 9 shirt when Bristol visit the Recreation Ground after head coach Steve Meehan revealed Claassens needs more rest.

He said: "He hasn't been passed fit as of yet – and as a result, my feelings are we will give him at least a week to make sure he is 100 per cent.

"He was injured at a ruck when the players came in. It was with a head, both players going in to try to secure some ball – one player was wearing headgear and the other wasn't. He just got his head in the wrong spot.

"He was like a punch- drunk boxer and was very aggressive to the physios and the docs – which was a good sign. But the fact he could only speak Afrikaans for a couple of minutes wasn't good. Our doctor is on an intensive course now!"

But while Claassens will be absent this weekend, Meehan is likely to resist the temptation to make wholesale changes against the Premiership's bottom club.

"I think it would be disrespectful to Bristol to make a lot of changes," he said. "And it's also very important that we get back in the winners' circle. There are not that many changes from last weekend's team."