Huddersfield Giants have overcome a brutal injury blow with a star player set for a long-term absence

Huddersfield Giants will be without Esan Marsters for a considerable period of time after he picked up a knee injury. The star centre, who will join Salford Red Devils next season, is set for around eight weeks on the sidelines after suffering a medial ligament injury.

It’s a crushing blow for the Giants, with the Cook Islands international one of their best kicking weapons all season. It means Huddersfield are without Marsters and Adam Swift, who is still unavailable for selection due to a groin injury sustained over a month ago.

They are joined on the sidelines by Sam Hewitt, who is out with concussion, and Ash Golding, who picked up a minor knock which will keep him out of action when they face Warrington Wolves on Friday.

“It could take up to eight weeks,” Watson confirmed. “It depends on how he heals, he’s in a brace at the moment so we’ll see where he goes. He had a meniscus injury and an MCL injury. He did it in the game and tried to carry on like I got us in. A flow for us in the second half He tried to get through it but he got a collision and couldn’t get up from it.

Jake Bibby is the man most likely to be tasked with replacing Marsters, although Watson could turn to Jake Connor further on, who has not been selected for three of Huddersfield’s last four games.

Connor could be recalled elsewhere in the squad, with Huddersfield currently battling an illness during their trip to France last month. Watson said the club would have to make a last-minute call for a player who is still particularly struggling.

“I don’t know what it is, but every time we come back from the Catalans we seem to have some unusual colds and bugs that we haven’t seen for a while. A lot of players have been very sick the last week, and this it spilled over this week as well.

“We gave them the start of the four days off, waiting for something to come up or hoping it wouldn’t be too much and they did full training again at the end of last week. We came back, but we only had 13 players available and then we had a little carryover last week.”

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