Wakefield Trinity centre Bill Tupou has suffered a further setback in his injury comeback, while winger Tom Johnstone is still likely to be weeks away from a return.
Tupou has been out for around a year with a serious knee injury but looked to be completing his recovery when he featured for their Reserves last month.
However, he took a knock to his knee in that game and head coach Willie Poching has revealed that Tupou has now required a further operation and is unsure when he will now return.
“He’s had to have another medical procedure on his knee; not a major one,” said Poching. “We’re all disappointed but we’re trying to get it right for Bill and for us.
“He’s got to see the specialist in the next week or so and we’ll get some answers as to what our plan of attack will be for him.”
Johnstone has been sidelined by a groin problem for over a month and he is only slowly recovering.
“Three or four weeks ago there was a plan to give him about six weeks from the specialist,” explained Poching.
“We’re a little way down the line, he’s feeling that there is some improvement which wasn’t the case earlier. He’s feeling like there’s some progress.
“So we’re hoping that at some point in the next couple of weeks we can get him out on the training paddock first, and then have a look at him.”
Reece Lyne had ankle surgery last week while Liam Kay remains in a boot after his own ankle injury, and Poching was reluctant to put a timescale on either.
