HEAD coach Carl Hogg insists off-field uncertainty has not affected the Worcester Warriors squad.

The Sixways club is up for sale with director of rugby Gary Gold set to leave at the end of the season to take on the USA national job.

The Times reported this week that Warriors have 21 players with contracts due to expire at the end of the season, meaning they would be free to negotiate with rival clubs from January 1.

It was also claimed Warriors had pledged news on the takeover by the end of the week with the uncertainty prompting star turns to look to pastures new.

But Hogg, whose own deal expires in the summer, was adamant unanswered questions of the ownership and team management would not stand in the way of performances on the pitch — and offered recent results as evidence to support his stance.

“That is not of any concern for us,” said Hogg. “As a playing department the group has showed a huge amount of unity and particularly over the past month to six weeks that has been borne out in performances.

“We cannot get distracted by things off the field. It is part and parcel of professional sport and happens in every sport.”

Dean Hammond remains a doubt for Friday’s return fixture at Oyonnax (7pm GMT) but Hogg revealed Warriors planned to go with many of the personnel that featured in Saturday’s 35-14 home success over the same opponents.

“It will be very similar,” he added. “We’re just waiting on Dean who took a slight knock last weekend but he’s the only significant one we’re waiting on.”

That XV featured no fewer than 14 changes with number eight David Denton the solitary starter from the previous week’s Premiership clash with Sale.

“It is about creating opportunity,” said Hogg. “It was also on the back of three hard Premiership games and I thought the first 10 to 15 minutes showed the players had not played for a while.

“We looked ring rusty but felt we managed the game particularly well in the middle of the field and came away with the points in the end.

“It leads into this weekend when we go to Oyonnax which is a difficult place to go.

“Everyone knows how hostile French grounds are and how animated teams get about home performances so it is a real challenge for this group and one we are looking forward to.

“We know we have to step up physically from where we were last weekend, the intensity and physicality we need to bring.

“We know it is a small village and hostile environment. They now have a 3G pitch so we know we will have a similar surface to the one we use here at Sixways.”