Bristol Bears have brought in former Northampton Saints hooker Nathan Langdon as injury cover after confirming the club have 29 players unavailable this weekend through a series of injuries and international call-ups.

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Langdon, 24, arrives on a short-term deal from Sale FC as injury cover and goes straight onto the bench to face the touring Argentina XV, who come to Ashton Gate on Friday night in an exhibition match. Langdon, who is the young brother of Saints and England international hooker Curtis, has played for Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks, Northampton and Bedford Blues, primarily in the PREM Rugby Cup.

READ MORE: Bristol Bears vs Argentina XV LIVE: Team news and play-by-play updates

Bears director of rugby Pat Lam has named a squad comprising 12 academy players, with two-thirds of his squad unavailable this weekend due to a combination of international call-ups and injuries.

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Those on international duty include England’s Ellis Genge, England A call-ups Joe Batley and Fitz Harding, Wales winger Louis Rees-Zammit, Fijian duo Bill Mata and Kalaveti Ravouvou, Argentina’s Santi Grondona and Benjamin Elizalde and Scotland’s Tom Jordan.

You could make a strong argument, Bristol in fact have 31 players unavailable this weekend, having also seen emergency injury loan signings, Toby Fricker called up by the USA, and Matias Moroni selected by Argentina following his exploits with the Barbarians last weekend. Lam said he was not in a position to confirm whether the duo will extend their short-term contracts with the Bears following the conclusion of the Autumn internationals but did not rule it out.

Lam has taken the opportunity to rest many of his senior squad for the game against the Pumas second string, with the club without a PREM Rugby Cup game next weekend due to the bye weekends in the competition this season, allowing the seasoned stars an opportunity to recover ahead of the Gallagher PREM return at the end of the month.

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Unavailable: Ellis Genge, Will Capon, Harry Thacker, George Kloska, Max Lahiff, Pedro Rubiolo, James Dun, Joe Batley, George Taylor, Steven Luatua, Fitz Harding, Santiago Grondona, Kofi Cripps, Ben Grondona, Viliame Mata, Harry Randall, Max Pepper, AJ MacGinty, Sam Worsley, Tom Jordan, James Williams, Toby Baker, Joe Jenkins, Kalaveti Ravouvou, Gabriel Ibitoye, Louis Rees-Zammit, Josh Carrington, Rich Lane, Benjamin Elizalde. (Matias Moroni and Toby Fricker)