YORK KNIGHTS expect to be without fullback Toa Mata’afa for around four weeks with his dislocated elbow.
Centre Sam Wood has also been ruled out of Saturday’s clash at Huddersfield Giants with a finger injury.
But both Ben Jones-Bishop, who suffered a foot injury in last Friday’s home defeat to Wakefield Trinity, and Danny Richardson, who missed that game with a quad problem, could be involved.
Head coach Mark Applegarth said of Mata’afa: “It could have been worse.
“There’s no break, which is a positive, but there’s some ligament damage as you’d expect and a bit of damage to the capsule.
“My own rough estimate, knowing Toa and what we’ve been told, is about four weeks.
“It’s a massive blow for us because Toa has been one of our standout players, and I’m gutted for him personally.”
Wood will be in a race to play his former club Hull KR in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals a week on Saturday (April 11).
“He got a compound dislocation,” explained Applegarth.
“He’s had it cleaned out and he’s in a cast for a week to let that settle down, then he should be good to go.
“I don’t envisage that being any longer than a week or two.”
Both Jones-Bishop, and Richardson were described as “touch and go” for Huddersfield.