England playmaker stood down with immediate effect

The 34-year-old has gone under the knife following an issue which troubled him during Bath's title-winning campaign last season.

Spencer missed two matches in April after injuring his shoulder but recovered to play a part in the closing stages of the campaign.

He was subsequently included in England's squad for this summer's Nations Championship, coming off the bench during the victory over Argentina.

However, Bath have now confirmed their captain will be unavailable when the new domestic season gets underway.

The club expect Spencer to return to action "later in the autumn", meaning he will miss the opening weeks of their campaign.

Bath begin their 2026/27 season away against Harlequins on Friday, 25 September.

There is better news elsewhere on the injury front, with Louis Hennessey, Tom de Glanville, Will Muir, Tom Dunn and Sam Underhill all undergoing shoulder procedures this summer.

All five are expected to be available for the start of the new campaign.

Long-term absentees Will Stuart and Jaco Coetzee are also on course to return.

England international Stuart has not played since suffering an Achilles injury in December, while Coetzee has been sidelined for almost the entirety of the past 16 months after initially suffering an ACL injury in April 2025.