Bristol have come out of the Premiership break "stronger" says director of rugby Pat Lam, with a number of players nearing return from injury.

The Bears return to league action against Exeter at Ashton Gate on Saturday (17:30 GMT) second in the table, six points behind leaders Bath and five ahead of third-placed Gloucester.

Centre James Williams returns from a broken hand to start against the Chiefs, with England scrum-half Harry Randall straight back into the starting XV following the Six Nations and Ellis Genge on the bench.

"We started our season flying and then after that Leicester game a lot of our guys went down and a lot of guys went missing so we couldn't even do proper training, we'd just get to the game," Lam told BBC Radio Bristol.

"This last three weeks has got us back to training the way we want to train, without a game, and a lot of boys have come back from injury which is great, so the squad's stronger."

Fly-half AJ MacGinty is nearing a return from a knee injury that has ruled him out since the end of December, as is wing Gabriel Ibitoye who suffered a setback in his recovery from a leg injury, and versatile forward Joe Batley who fractured his leg in November.

"If you're looking at starters - or guys who are certainly pushing for starters - when you consider what we had after that Leicester game, to have AJ, Bats and Gabs not far away, we should be all good," Lam added.