Hull FC boss John Cartwright admits Jake Arthur is ‘touch and go’ to make his Super League debut on Saturday night against Wigan Warriors.
Arthur made his first appearance for the Black and Whites earlier this month against Salford RLFC in the third round of the Challenge Cup.
However, he tweaked his hamstring in that contest and hasn’t been seen since, with the half-back sitting out of the season opener last week against Bradford Bulls.
The Australian, who joined Hull from NRL outfit Newcastle Knights over the off-season, isn’t thought to be too far off fitness, but the head coach was non-committal when asked whether he would be fit for the clash at the Brick Community Stadium.
“He’ll be touch and go for the game,” Cartwright told the press on Wednesday afternoon. “We’ve still got a few days to go, so we’ll give him up to the captain’s run. It’s a one- to two-week injury so we’ll wait and see.
“He played the cup game and he had a trial game. It’s a bit frustrating for him but for football players, that’s their life.”
Hull were without James Bell and John Asiata last weekend, with the club taking it ‘week to week’ on the loose-forward pair.
However, one man that will be back in the fold this week is Jed Cartwright, with the back-rower being cleared following the hefty head knock he picked up at Salford.
“He got through today’s checks – he’ll be fine,” Cartwright added. “It’s his first real hit out now; he’s had a bit of time out on the field, but his body is good and his head is clear now.
“We just want to get him out there now and get some minutes in his legs. He’ll be better for the run.”
The Hull FC head coach won’t have Ligi Sao at his disposal this weekend, though, with the forward being hit with a two-game ban for what was deemed to be a hip drop tackle, with the challenge forcing Bradford’s Dan Russell off through injury.
“It’s a tough game and accidents happen,” Cartwright added. “Ligi was on the end of one on the weekend.
“It’s frustrating, but again, that’s the life of a footballer. It’s a physical game that we play and you get hurt; mistakes happen, and we’ve just got to keep moving on.”
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