Wigan coach delivers injury update as forward sidelined with Tom Forber recall confirmed

Ethan Havard will miss Wigan’s Challenge Cup quarter-final clash away against Wakefield Trinity, but the Warriors are hopeful Junior Nsemba will be fit to feature.

21-time cup winners Wigan travel to Belle Vue on Sunday afternoon for a last-eight tie, aiming to book their spot in the semi-finals having been to Wembley only once since 2017.

The Cherry and Whites make the trip to Wakefield on the back of successive Super League losses to Huddersfield Giants and St Helens, with Nsemba having picked up his ankle problem in the defeat to their arch rivals on Good Friday.

Fellow forward Havard also picked up his concussion during that game, albeit presenting itself afterwards.

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Wigan coach delivers injury update as forward sidelined with Tom Forber recall confirmed

Head coach Matt Peet delivered an injury update in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

He detailed: “Junior has a chance (of playing). He’s been with the physios and we’ll look to get him into a training session later in the week, so we’ll see how he handles that.

“We’ve lost Ethan Havard. He had a HIA which he passed on the day (against Saints), but looking back on the footage, it was a hefty one.

“He passed his HIA on the day, but it was a bad bang. It’s just a regular one-week protocol. He’ll be sat down this week and rightly so, he’s alright but he’s going through the stages of his return-to-play (protocol).

“It’s a while yet (for Bevan French). We’re another week down, but he’s still in a brace.”

Elsewhere, young Warriors hooker Tom Forber has spent the last couple of weeks out on loan at fellow Super League side Castleford Tigers.

His loan had been on a month-long basis, but parent club Wigan held a recall option, and have now exercised that.

Peet said: “He (Forber) will be in the 21 this week. We’ve always valued what Tom can do, it was just important that he got some minutes in his legs.

“That’s what he’s been able to do, and we’re appreciative that the opportunity at Castleford came along.”