St Helens have been given an injury boost as they continue their preparations for the start of the new Super League season. Paul Wellens’ side are coming to the end of their pre-season campaign and in just over a weeks’ time they’ll be in action for the first time in 2025 as they take on Salford Red Devils in a friendly.
That game will be followed by a Challenge Cup third round clash against either Edinburgh Eagles, West Hull, Stanley Rangers or Hunslet ARLFC before Salford make the journey to the Totally Wicked Stadium again for round one of Super League on February 15. It won’t be long until the games are starting to come thick and fast and it’s clear that Wellens will need all hands on deck as they look to get off to a fast start.
The news that Matty Lees has returned to training will be music to Saints fans’ ears then after overcoming a knee injury. Lees, who was named in last season’s Super League Dream Team, injured his medial cruciate ligament in November while representing England in the Test series against Samoa.
The prop has spent the last couple of months working his way back to full fitness, though, and has now made a return to training just as the season moves into view.
“Matty started back full training with the squad this week and it is great to have him back and we are in good shape for the start of the season,” Wellens told the St Helens Star.
“It is the biggest squad we have had for a while, with promoting as many youngsters as we did.
“All of those young lads were deserving of that opportunity so it’s a different pre-season in terms of the amount of number we have had but it has been really good nonetheless.”
Given the injury, Lees probably isn’t expected to feature against Salford next weekend but it seems likely that Wellens will give a number of impressive youngsters a run out alongside those first-teamers who will be itching for game time after a long off-season.
