HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS forward Tristan Powell is well on the road to recovery after being hospitalised with an unusual throat injury.
The 25-year-old prop suffered a tear in his trachea during Huddersfield’s 24-22 win over York Knights last weekend, and had to spend the following day in hospital as a result.
Having been released after an overnight stay, it is now a waiting game on his return to action.
“Tristan is going through the protocols, but he got through the first two weeks,” said head coach Jim Lenihan of the ever-present forward.
“He had his breathing exercises which was to put some pressure on the infected area in the trachea.
“He has progressed into running and elevated heart rate now. He is certainly putting his windpipe under pressure to see if there are any leaks there.
“That hasn’t happened yet but there will be a scan at the end of the week.”
Lenihan also spoke on the cause of the injury and any potential complications that can arise,
“I think an injury like that happens when forwards run with their bumpers up and they get into that chest and throat area,” he explained.
“He was a little bit concerned that he felt a bit off but he wasn’t in any extreme pain. He could feel there was a swelling in his chest.
“There’s been a long history of players that have got a stray elbow in the larynx and it’s given them deep, croaky voices like Darren Lockyer and Kevin Proctor.
“It must have created a little bit of a tear and then it opened up when he was breathing heavily on the field.
“He went to Manchester hospital. He was in his own trauma unit because if anything did deteriorate it could have got nasty quick.
“He was in there for one night and came home.”