WORCESTER Warriors will travel to former champions Harlequins with “huge confidence” after an “outstanding week of training,” according to head coach Carl Hogg.

The former Scotland international insists Warriors’ senior players are “physically and mentally refreshed” after a break from Aviva Premiership action.

Full-back Chris Pennell and South African flanker Dewald Potgieter are available for top-tier action for the first time this season.

“We have trained as well as we have trained this season,” said Hogg, whose side were beaten 34-13 at Leicester Tigers in their last league outing.

“We have had an outstanding week of training because the players are physically and mentally refreshed and hopefully we can show that at Quins.

“We are more healthy up-front but we have one or two dinks behind and we are very fortunate to have Chris come through last weekend so we are delighted to get him back into the mix.

“Dewald will also be available so I am delighted to get him back in the mix because he’s a quality player."

Prop Val Rapava Ruskin "rolled his ankle" at Welford Road but is “fit and available”, while flanker Carl Kirwan, who dislocated a finger in the same match, will strap up the injury and play.

But fly-half Tom Heathcote has been ruled out after being knocked unconscious in Warriors’ 25-24 European Challenge Cup defeat against Brive last Saturday.

Hogg said: “Unfortunately, we lost Tommy to concussion so he’s going through his graded return to play and he won’t make it.

“He will have some time out of the game now.

"He wasn’t feeling great last Saturday and Sunday but hopefully we can have him fit and available in the next 10 days.”

Lock Christian Scotland-Williamson is a “concern” for Hogg and “is a doubt” for the Quins clash after hobbling off against Brive.

Hogg explained: “Christian couldn’t release his foot from underneath him and got his knee trapped.

“I think he’s going to turn-around a lot quicker than we first anticipated but whether he makes the weekend is still in doubt but we are hopeful.”

Hooker Matti Williams has had a hamstring problem “for two or three weeks” and limped off in the first half against Brive. But he should be available for Worcester’s Anglo-Welsh Cup campaign.

Wing Dean Hammond had a “tight hamstring” in Warriors’ 19-12 European defeat by Enisei-STM and was a late withdrawal from last Saturday’s squad.

“We brought Dean off at half-time in Moscow and we thought we could get him back quicker but he didn’t quite make it,” said Hogg.

Skipper Gerrit-Jan van Velze (concussion) remains “two or three weeks away” and taking “a little bit longer than first anticipated” after suffering a bang on the head in Warriors’ opening-day defeat against Saracens at Twickenham.

Flanker Marco Mama, who pulled his hamstring “quite significantly” at Bath, has resumed running but will “probably be about another month away”, according to Hogg.