SAINTS will be without wingman Tommy Makinson for several games after he sustained a Plantar Fascia injury in Sunday’s match at London.
The veteran player will not need surgery, but he is expected to be out for four to six weeks.
In his absence, Saints can choose between Jon Bennison, who was the 18th man last week, or Tee Ritson.
Coach Paul Wellens stated, “Tommy has a Plantar Fascia issue similar to the one he had a few years ago, so we’re looking at a recovery time of four to six weeks.”
“It is unfortunate, obviously, but it is what it is and we just have to adapt.
“Tommy is one of our best players and one of the best wingers in the competition, but this will provide an opportunity for someone else.
“We have handled adversity really well in recent weeks, and we will need to do the same again in Tommy’s absence.
“The timeframe is four to six weeks to allow it to heal properly.
“We can’t be too specific on the timeframe because the nature of a Plantar Fascia injury is a bit complicated.
“When we say four to six weeks, we’re hoping it’s closer to four, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Wellens explained that the nature of the injury made it slightly more complicated than a clean rupture.
“There are three strands of muscle, and one of those is torn but not completely ruptured.
“Weirdly enough, if it was completely ruptured, that would have been easier to manage.
“That’s not the case with Tommy, so we have to respect it and give it the right amount of time to heal properly,” he said.