Jonny Wilkinson may not be making the trip south to The Rec this weekend, but Bath co-captain Alex Crockett believes his team underestimate Newcastle's stand-in fly-half at their peril.

Falcons' utility back Tom May has proved a revelation in the number 10 shirt in Wilkinson's absence – and continued his purple patch on Sunday by scoring 19 of Newcastle's points in their 24-16 win over Harlequins.

Wilkinson had been expected to return to Guinness Premiership action against Bath on Saturday, but it emerged on Wednesday that the injury-blighted England star had suffered a "slight reaction" to his knee during training.

But Crockett believes May, who has scored 81 points in 16 appearances for the Falcons so far this season, will be a handful in his own right.

"Tom May has been playing brilliantly and I think he is one of the catalysts for them being on such good form at the moment and improving in the league," said Crockett, who scored a try in Bath's 22-11 win over the Falcons at The Rec last season.

"The Falcons are in great form and I think it's going to be a great contest on Saturday."

Newcastle have won six on the trot in the Premiership – their best run since 1997-98.

However, the Falcons have only won once in Bath during their last 11 visits.

Bath have not lost at The Rec in the Premiership for six months, and Crockett believes the number of home fixtures the club has during the final rounds of the regular season could prove key.

Fourth-placed Bath will play four of their remaining six Premiership matches at The Rec. And with just four points separating the teams in second and sixth places, that home advantage could assist Bath's push for a play-off berth.

"Playing at home is an advantage, but you've still got to go out there and work hard and do your job," said 27-year-old Crockett.

"It's a bit of a danger sometimes when you are at home and you are favourites that players just turn up and think it will just happen.

"It's going to be very tough, but I'd still rather be playing at The Rec than away from home."

After a 16-20 loss to Saracens at Vicarage Road on Sunday, Crockett believes Bath need to work harder to eliminate their mistakes.

If that happens, then the Bath-born centrel believes Bath can go the whole way in both the Premiership and the Heineken Cup.

"We don't want to complement a mistake with another mistake," he said. "That's when the opposition get on a role and the ascendancy can change.

"It's a matter of maybe simplifying our game plan after we have made a mistake. When we get the ball back, we just need to simplify and hold on to it for a while."

Meanwhile, Bath wing Matt Banahan has been cited for an alleged body-check on Saracens' Adam Powell.

Banahan will appear before a Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel on Monday.

Saracens' Kris Chesney will appear at the same hearing, after being cited for punching Crockett. Match referee Chris White yellow-carded Chesney for the offence during the game on March 15.