BACK-row duo Alafoti Fa’osiliva and Carl Kirwan are on course to launch their comebacks from injury in the European Challenge Cup next month.

Fa’osiliva made his first appearance since mid-September when he came off the bench in Worcester Warriors’ Premiership Cup defeat at Saracens earlier this month.

Although the Samoa international had been training with Worcester in the build-up to the match, director of rugby Alan Solomons admitted Fa’osiliva, who was recovering from a torn calf, was not due to play.

Worcester’s medics had to collect the 33-year-old from his home in Bath on the morning of the game after hooker Jordan Liney, on loan from Hartpury, pulled out through illness.

Fa’osiliva was then forced to come onto the field when second row Andrew Kitchener sustained a blow to his head at the start of the second half.

Solomons conceded Fa’osiliva’s appearance at Allianz Park caused a setback in his recovery.

But the Warriors boss reckoned the powerful forward would be back in action when his side travel to France to face Pau on Friday, December 7.

“He wasn’t meant to play (at Saracens) and then Jordan withdrew so we had to push him in,” Solomons said.

“It was probably a bit too early and he is still out at the moment.

“He is getting better but he is not right. He has got a tear in his calf.

“He had participated fully in training that week but the conservative view was to maybe leave him out which we did do.

“But we needed him to play. It was reasonable to expect him to play at that point.

“But unfortunately the surface is pretty firm at Saracens. Whether that had a role to play or not I don’t know.

“He should be better for that (game at Pau).”

Solomons is also hopeful of seeing flanker Kirwan who has been battling to overcome a shoulder injury to make his first outing of the season when Worcester visit Pau.

The 27-year-old failed to make an appearance for Warriors last term and has not played for the first team since December 2016.

“Carl should be ready to go by the time we hit Europe,” Solomons said.

Solomons also said Dewald Potgieter, who missed the entire 2017-18 campaign due to a knee injury, was in South Africa as part of his rehabilitation.

“He is still continuing his rehab out there,” Solomons added.