Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet has provided an update on Jai Field following the full-back’s appendix removal earlier this week.
Field was one of Wigan’s star men last Thursday night against Leigh Leopards, but the Australian was taken ill in the days that followed before being diagnosed with appendicitis. He underwent emergency surgery on Monday afternoon and the club released an update on Tuesday to confirm that he is set to spend the next few weeks on the sidelines as he recovers.
A timeframe of four to six weeks has been suggested, but Peet admits his return depends solely on the speed of his recovery from the operation.
“He just took ill over the weekend, Sunday evening, and when they did the checks on him, it turned out that they needed to take out his appendix,” Peet said, per Wigan Today.
“That all got done pretty quickly, and he’s onto his recovery now – he seems in good spirits.
He added: “Pretty much now, it is just how his body heals. There are some scars to recover from and some damage to his stomach muscles, and then making sure that when he does return to training and games, most importantly, that he is physically ready.
“He has been in a great place physically – fit, strong, fast – so we don’t want to put him out on the field until he’s back at those levels, so I suppose it’s week by week.”
Of course, Wigan will miss his presence on the Field over the next month or so, but his absence provides an opportunity for someone else to take the reins. Zach Eckersley and Bevan French are more than able to move back into the role, should Peet wish to switch up his back line, but youngster Noah Hodkinson has been named in the 21-man squad to play Toulouse Olympique this week and he could be given the chance to impress.
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