Leeds Rhinos are set to be without a number of key stars for their clash with Widnes Vikings.
The club has confirmed Stevie Ward, Adam Cuthbertson and Jack Walker will all miss several weeks of action following injuries in the World Club Challenge defeat to Melbourne.
Ward has sustained a serious calf injury which will rule out the forward for four to six weeks, while Cuthbertson has a fracture in his hand that will see him miss up to eight weeks.
Meanwhile, the club is waiting to discover the full extent of Jack Walker’s injury, with the young fullback still being assessed after damaging his knee in Australia.
It leaves Brian McDermott facing an injury crisis ahead of the clash with Widnes, with the Rhinos already without several key stars. Brett Ferres, Anthony Mullally, Nathaniel Peteru and Keith Galloway all remain injured while Mitch Garbutt and Mikolaj Oledzki are major doubts for the trip to the Vikings.
