Wakefield Trinity coach reveals grim detail of Tom Johnstone injury as update provided

Tom Johnstone has been kept out of action for over a month as a result of an infection in his groin caused by an injection, Wakefield Trinity boss Daryl Powell has confirmed.

Experienced winger Johnstone, who turned 29 earlier this week, hasn’t featured since Wakefield’s 44-6 win over former club Catalans Dragons at Belle Vue on July 5.

Having been withdrawn early on in that game, he then withdrew from Powell’s squad at the eleventh hour the following week ahead of their defeat at Hull FC.

The five-time England international – who returned to Trinity ahead of the 2025 campaign from fellow Super League outfit Catalans – has now missed their last four games, and wasn’t going to feature this weekend’s trip to Salford Red Devils, which has now been cancelled.

But as he nears a return, Trinity have finally got to the bottom of where Johnstone’s problems stemmed from.

Wakefield Trinity coach reveals grim detail of Tom Johnstone injury as update provided

During his time out of action, Wakefield referred the speedster on to a specialist, with the club’s medical staff unable to determine the cause of the pain in his groin.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Thursday morning, Trinity head coach Powell explained: “He had an infection in his groin area that looks like it’s been caused by an injection.

“That’s what it looks like, and it’s settled down now. He’s training, he’s moving and his pain is pretty good at the moment.

“Hopefully he’ll be back in the next couple of weeks.”

Johnstone has scored 11 tries in 20 appearances across all competitions so far this season, taking his overall tally for the club up to 98 tries in 136 appearances.

Wakefield are vying for a spot in the Super League play-offs this term in their first season back in the top flight, and still have to play financially-stricken Salford twice as well as strugglers Castleford Tigers and Huddersfield Giants before the end of the year.

Powell added: “He’s back training, but not quite with the team yet. He did some passing drills today, but he’s not far off.

“I don’t know whether it’ll be next week or the week after (he returns), but it looks like he’s just round the corner.”