Exeter Chiefs have suffered a major injury setback ahead of the Gallagher Premiership season after winger Campbell Ridl sustained a serious ACL knee injury. Full-back Tommy Wyatt also faces time on the sidelines due to a fresh shoulder problem.
The former England Under-20 international, who can also cover full-back and outside centre, is expected to miss most of the 2026-27 campaign following initial scan results. Ridl enjoyed an outstanding breakout season for Exeter, scoring 17 tries in 21 appearances, including a score during the Premiership final defeat against Northampton Saints at Twickenham.
Speaking prior to Exeter’s 45-21 PREM Rugby Cup victory over Bristol Bears at Sandy Park, director of rugby Rob Baxter confirmed the prognosis. He stated: “Campbell Ridl looks like it’s going to be a significant knee injury” as the squad prepares for an extended spell without the versatile back.
The medical update worsens with Tommy Wyatt awaiting further scan results on a shoulder injury picked up against Bristol. It represents another setback for the full-back, who had only returned to action ten days earlier against Scarlets following back-to-back knee injuries.
With minimal off-season recruitment compared to rival Premiership clubs, Exeter’s back-three depth will be severely tested. However, senior internationals Henry Slade, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, Ross Vintcent, and Stephen Varney are scheduled to play at least 60 minutes in the final pre-season fixture against Cardiff before facing Gloucester in their Premiership opener.
Managing physical load remains essential during this period. Explaining his squad rotation for the Cardiff clash, Baxter said: “We probably need to give our internationals at least 60 minutes, but we’re going to take an extended squad, so if anybody starts to pull up a little tight or has a little niggle we don’t need to leave anybody on the field.”
Ensuring match sharpness across the squad is vital. Baxter added: “I think it’s important that we get a bit of game time into a few guys that we feel have only had limited pre-season game time to get them ready for the season starting” as the team fine-tunes its preparation.
