ENGLAND fly-half Olly Barkley is ready to give basement club Bath the lift they so badly need when he makes a belated Zurich Premiership entry at Sixways tomorrow (2pm).

Barkley's first appearance of the league campaign -- against fellow strugglers Worcester -- comes after a dismal week for last season's title challengers.

During the space of five days, Bath were sunk without trace by Newcastle, had their England lock Steve Borthwick cited for alleged foul play and then saw the RFU withdraw part of the club's international ticket allocation after they breached Twickenham regulations.

If all that wasn't painful enough to digest, then Bath are the only club without a Premiership point this term, and currently prop up a table they led for most of last season.

But Barkley now has the chance to do something about it as Bath target only a second league away win since January.

"The past couple of weeks have been frustrating for me," said Barkley, who is set to replace an injured Chris Malone in Bath's starting line-up.

"I missed the Northampton game through the elite player scheme ruling and then twisted my ankle the following Tuesday in training.

"Therefore, I am really pleased to be back in the fray. Apart from the pre-season trial games, I haven't played competitive rugby since the England tour of New Zealand and Australia in June, and I really can't wait to get on with it," he added.

Bath head coach John Connolly, meanwhile, has warned his players to expect no plaudits if they break their Zurich Premiership duck at Sixways.

"Worcester is a must-win match for us but the critics won't queue up to pat us on the back if we come out on top," he warned.

"Worcester are the promoted side this season and if we win the game, it will have been expected of us.

"Even if everything clicks into place and we win it well, we probably won't get too much credit, so the important thing for us is to just make sure we win and open our account for the season."

Connolly will name his side for Sixways later today.

Bath (probable): Maddock; Crockett, Fleck, Tindall, Daniel; Barkley, Wood; Barnes, Humphreys, Bell, Borthwick, Grewcock, Beattie, Lipman, Feaunati.