Castleford Tigers forward Alex Mellor will miss the start of the Super League season after being out for about eight weeks with a knee injury.
The seasoned back-rower suffered the injury in last Sunday’s 54-0 win against the Keighley Cougars and underwent a scan to determine the extent of the damage.
The injury is not as serious as initially thought, but new Tigers coach Craig Lingard expects Mellor to miss the first month of the 2024 season, which begins on February 17 at home against defending champions Wigan Warriors.
“He’s an experienced player for us and has had a real good pre-season,” Lingard stated.
“He didn’t have the best season last year, like everyone else at the club, but he was ready to play this season. He led all of our conditioning exercises.
“It’s a huge blow for him to be out for any extended period of time.
“For us, it’s one of the spots we’ve covered with another four back-rowers. That’s how we’re looking at it practically, rather than in terms of player welfare and how Mells will feel.”
