Sam Burgess has confirmed that Luke Yates will not play for Warrington Wolves this weekend with the head coach fearing that the veteran prop could be set for a spell on the sidelines.
Yates was a notable absentee from the 21-man squad named for Sunday’s clash against Bradford Bulls and Burgess has explained why in a presser shared by BBC Radio Merseyside.
“Luke Yates won’t play,” Burgess confirmed, adding: “He’s just aggravated that shoulder or neck injury that he’s got, so he’ll be getting a couple more appointments booked over the coming weeks, I’d say, and we’ll see where we go with that.
“He’s got an appointment today so we’ll probably know a little bit more after today, and we’ll go from there, but we’ll see. Part of me thinks he might need another spell on the sidelines.”
Those appointments will confirm if Yates requires surgery or not and if he does then it’s expected to be a similar procedure to the one that has ruled George Williams out long-term, though Burgess has insisted it will be ‘not as severe’ yet still a ‘longer-term injury’.
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Warrington Wolves boss hails former club Bradford as a ‘revelation’ on Super League return
As for others who could feature, Burgess explained that Sam Stone will play whilst Joe Philbin, who missed out in Toulouse with a knee issue, is close.
He confirmed: “Philbin is there or thereabouts. He has to get through a bit more today. He’s done well to push it, but if he’s not back this week, he’ll be certainly back after the break.”
Opponents Bradford are going through their own injury woes at the moment but Burgess is well aware of their talent, hailing them as a ‘revelation’ in Super League and claiming that his former side could well be higher up the ladder if not for bad luck.
The Wire coach said: “I think they’ve been a revelation really. The style of play they play. I dare say they might have snagged a few more points. They got unlucky a couple of games. They could be a bit higher up the table, but I think they play a nice brand of rugby there.
“It’s been good to see the Bulls’ colours back in the Super League. They’ve certainly brought something.”
Warrington host the Bulls at 3:00 pm on Sunday in the final game of Super League round 12.
