St Helens confirm minor injury to Sione Mata’utia
St Helens have confirmed that back-rower Sione Mata’utia will miss up to three weeks of action due to a minor injury.
Mata’utia, 26, limped from the field during the club’s 60-6 victory over Hull at the MKM Stadium last Sunday. The Samoa international sustained a foot injury and will be sidelined between two-to-three weeks.
The club host injury-hit Hull KR on Friday in Super League Round 24 at the Totally Wicked Stadium.
“Sione Mata’utia has a foot injury. He is going to be out for two, possibly three weeks at this stage,” head coach Kristian Woolf confirmed.
“We are hopeful for the two weeks. But we are not going to take any risks with him at the same time. It is more than likely he will be back for the last game and he will certainly be fine for the finals.”
Meanwhile, Morgan Knowles will miss the fixture due to suspension. He was hit with a Grade A shoulder charge.
Woolf also confirmed that Jack Welsby will return, having been rested for their trip to Hull. Lewis Baxter and Taylor Pemberton come into the squad in place of Knowles and Mata’utia.
Hull KR name 19-man squad
Interim Hull KR head coach Danny McGuire has only managed to name a 19-man squad for the trip to St Helens. Full-back Lachlan Coote has been named, having missed the last two games due to a head knock sustained against Wigan.
Key half-back Mikey Lewis could also make his return from the first time since sustaining an injury in the win over Warrington in Round 20. Prop forward Albert Vete has also been named.
Hull KR captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. The centre left the field in the first half during the defeat to Leeds.
Meanwhile, forward Greg Richards has also been ruled out for the remainder of the 2022 campaign.
St Helens: Welsby, Makinson, Hopoate, Lomax, Walmsley, Roby, Batchelor, Lussick, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Paasi, Wingfield, Bell, Simm, Davies, Hurrell, Norman, Royle, Bennison, Baxter, Pemberton.
Hull KR: Coote, Hall, Vete, King, Linnett, Storton, Litten, Minchella, Keinhorst, Lewis, Milners, Maher, Wood, Halton, Tate, Laulu-Togaga’e, Moore, Fishwick, Barley.
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