St Helens prop Nick Fozzard has ruptured his anterior cruciate knee ligament and is likely to be sidelined for six months.
Prop requires ACL surgery
St Helens prop Nick Fozzard requires a knee reconstruction after scans confirmed he has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
Fozzard, 30, sustained the injury after just three minutes of last Friday's 22-16 victory at Bradford and is likely to be sidelined for six months.
"He requires a reconstruction which means he will be out for five to six months, probably closer to six," said coach Daniel Anderson.
"It's disappointing but that's what happens in rugby league. You get major injuries. It's one of the variables that you can't control.
"It's not good for Foz and it's not good for us but we've got to get him repaired as quickly as possible and hopefully get him back playing this year."
Injuries mount
Saints have an extensive injury list among their forwards - Fozzard's fellow front rowers Jason Cayless (knee) and Maurie Fa'asavalu (broken thumb), and back-row pair Jon Wilkin (knee) and Chris Flannery (leg) are all currently sidelined.
Fa'asavalu will be out until Easter and Cayless is not expected back until the end of April, but Anderson is unlikely to dip into the transfer market for a short-term replacement.
"I don't envisage going anywhere," he said. "We'll just have to hold the line and wait for the cavalry to come."
Better news concerns club captain Paul Sculthorpe, who showed no ill-effects from his comeback against Bradford.
Sculthorpe was playing for the furst time in nearly nine months following Achilles surgery.
"He pulled up well on Saturday morning and trained this morning," said Anderson on Monday. "I'm expecting him to be available for Sunday (at home to Wakefield)."
