SKIPPER Gerrit-Jan van Velze is expected to be available for Worcester Warriors’ M5 derby against Gloucester at Sixways on Friday (7.45pm).

The South African number eight had to leave the pitch in Saturday’s 35-3 Aviva Premiership defeat against Saracens after taking a bang on the head.

Prop Nick Schonert suffered an elbow injury and his fitness is monitored on a “day to day basis” but realistically the six-day turnaround from Twickenham is likely to be soon for him.

Head coach Carl Hogg said the derby will be arriving too quickly for full-backs Chris Pennell (neck) and Ben Howard (ankle), wing Bryce Heem (knee), lock Will Spencer (back) and flanker Sam Betty (back).

“We came through largely unscathed (against Saracens) but we have one or two issues and are hoping to manage them over the six-day turnaround,” said Hogg.

“There are not too many players coming back unfortunately at the moment and it will be a similar squad to the one who went out against Saracens.

“GJ (van Velze) is doing a graded return to play but he has stepped up through the levels so we are expecting him to be available on Friday.”

It will be the first Premiership match on the new 4G artificial surface at Sixways following the removal of the grass pitch in the summer.

And Hogg is determined for Warriors to “build a reputation of being a side to beat at home in the top tier.

“We always knew that Saracens was going to be a tough task and I was really proud of the effort in the first half but the Premiership comes thick and fast week in week out,” said Hogg.

“We know how tough it is to win on the road and we know how critical it is to get performances at Sixways.

“It’s a new start for us with a 4G pitch and the opening of the new surface at Sixways and we want to make ourselves really tough to beat.

“We want to build a reputation of being very difficult to beat at home and it starts on Friday.

“The game (on the new pitch) is faster.

“We have trained on it for the last two or three weeks and the ball does come up more quickly from contact.

“There are certain things we need to look at differently but it (the pitch) does slightly change the dynamics of the game.”

Gloucester opened up a 31-7 lead in their first match against Leicester Tigers before succumbing to a 38-31 defeat in a remarkable match at Kingsholm.

Gloucester “looked a real threat” and played with “width” and Hogg says Warriors will need to be at the top of their game.

“Gloucester started very strongly against Leicester with the ball in hand and looked a real threat and played with more width than I had seen from them for a couple of years,” said Hogg, a former head coach with the Cherry and Whites.

“I thought they got a real foothold in the game and Leicester did very well to overcome it.

“However, I am not overly concerned with Gloucester.”

Hogg added: “It’s about what we do and we can take great heart from showing we can defend for long periods against one of the best side’s in Europe.

“But we need to get our game with ball in hand on to the field and that has been our focus going into this match.”