Bath and England lock Charlie Ewels has revealed he was in danger of having his foot amputated and spent a week in hospital after picking up an infection.
The 30-year-old’s career lay in the balance earlier this season after he suffered a cut on his ankle in December which later became infected.
He has played just four games in the 2025/26 campaign as a result.
Ewels is now back fit with Bath taking on PREM rivals Saracens in the last-16 of the Investec Champions Cup on Saturday.
‘I’ve never really had a season like this,’ Ewels said. ‘I came back from the England tour, had a shortened pre-season, and then picked up a knock in round two. I came back from that and then picked up an illness.
‘It was a small cut on my left ankle. It was probably from a stud, but I don’t know. We tested what the bacteria was that had got in there to make sure I was on the right antibiotics but never found the source. Where and what got in there, we don’t know.
‘I was very, very well looked after both club wise and in an NHS hospital. I’m incredibly grateful to the people who looked after me.’
Out of nowhere, Ewels went from dealing with what seemed an innocuous injury to fearing he would lose his foot and his employment as a professional player. Once his leg had become infected, the seriousness of his position quickly became apparent.
Ewels was told unless the antibiotics took hold and stopped the infection spreading, there was a very real chance amputation would be required. Sepsis was also a significant possibility.
Thankfully, Ewels recovered but his experience showed him not to take his position as a professional athlete for granted.
His club head of rugby Johann van Graan was among the men to visit him in hospital.
‘It was very bad,’ said Ewels.
‘I spent a week in hospital on an IV drip and had surgery at the end to cut out all the infection. It was humbling. One day I was flying and the next I was lying there on a ward not knowing 100 per cent for 12 hours whether I was going to keep my foot or not.
‘Now I only have a small mark and a story, but at the time I didn’t think it would be that.’
