Mike Tindall and James Simpson-Daniel will miss Gloucester's Guinness Premiership clash at Northampton on Saturday – a match Dean Ryan feels is crucial to their play-off hopes.

Gloucester will go 17 days without a Premiership game after their trip to Franklin's Gardens – but will then face two league matches in five days in the final week of the season.

And head coach Ryan believes victory at Northampton is essential as a result of their fixture congestion in late April, when they must play the EDF Energy Cup final and their final two league matches in the space of a week.

He said: "It puts a lot of emphasis on us getting a result this weekend.

"Being successful in the EDF Energy Cup has forced us to move games and that has created some problems.

"But we've still got the capability to keep things within our control if we can keep winning.

"We're going away to a successful side this weekend and it's going to be difficult.

"But we recognise the importance of it, because if we can get a win there, then potentially there is some pressure off us in that last week of the season."

If Gloucester are to beat Northampton, they will have to do so without two of their more experienced backs, centre Tindall (knee) and winger Simpson-Daniel (thigh).

"James has a pull in his thigh and Tins has a pull in his medial ligament," said Ryan. "The extent of those are being looked into at the moment.

"I don't think either will be available for this weekend, but we are channelling our energy into seeing if we can get them fit for the final."