SARACENS are facing a back-row crisis ahead of the visit to league leaders Sale Sharks next week.

Ben Skirving, the England A number eight, will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery today (Friday) on the shoulder injury he picked up against Northampton, and he joins Richard Hill (knee) and Alex Sanderson (retired) on the sidelines.

With Dave Seymour and Ben T Russell also ruled out after being called up to the England Sevens Commonwealth Games squad, head coach Mike Ford will have little option but to field Hugh Vyvyan, Taine Randell and the inexperienced Steffon Armitage as his loose forward trio for the trip to Edgeley Park.

Indeed, academy prospects Richard Gill and Andy Saull could be called on to the bench as back-row cover.

"Things like this don't help but we can't use that as an excuse," said Ford. "I still believe we are going to go there and win. "We at least got back on the bike last weekend against Bristol we didn't ride it very well but at least we are back on it. We'll create an environment over the next two weeks where nothing is left to chance."