A SICKNESS bug stopped tighthead prop Nick Schonert from returning to action at the weekend.

Head coach Carl Hogg admitted he had hoped to name Schonert in Worcester Warriors' 23-man squad for the trip to Harlequins in the Aviva Premiership on Saturday.

But he revealed the 26-year-old picked up the same illness which forced full-back Chris Pennell to pull out of the clash as Warriors went on to lose 41-35.

Schonert was stretchered off with an ankle injury in Warriors' 24-10 defeat to Wasps in early September and was not due back for another couple of weeks.

“We hoped that Nick would be fit for Saturday, returning from his ankle injury,” Hogg said.

“He was ill during the middle of the week, so he was not able to go through the amount of rugby that we had hoped and planned for this week.”

Hogg said there was a bug going around the camp, but he insisted it was “under control” with only Pennell and Schonert sick.

Pennell’s absence saw Josh Adams move to full-back and Tom Howe was handed his first league start for Warriors on the wing.

Dean Hammond was also drafted it in on the bench and made an impact as he struck twice in the final 15 minutes as Worcester claimed two losing bonus points.

“Injuries and illnesses are just part and parcel of the game,” Hogg added.

“It did give Josh an opportunity at full-back, Tom looked a threat and I thought Dean was excellent when he came on.

“There is clearly a bug going around, but we have got it under control so it is not an issue.”