Wigan Warriors are facing a significant injury crisis ahead of their Magic Weekend clash against St Helens at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday. The team reported multiple injuries following last Saturday’s victory over Hull FC, with key players expected to miss substantial time.
Prop forward Luke Thompson sustained a foot ligament injury that is anticipated to sideline him for up to six weeks, representing the longest absence among the injured Wigan players. Captain Liam Farrell is set to miss at least four weeks due to a neck injury. Full-back Noah Hodkinson requires surgery for a fractured skull and is likely to be out for about a month. Meanwhile, Bevan French, who had recently returned from a hamstring injury, has now strained his other hamstring, adding to the squad’s challenges.
Despite these setbacks, Wigan coach Matt Peet remains confident in his team’s preparation ahead of the derby. “When you’re waiting on scans, you fear the worst,” Peet said, acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the injuries. “I’m cool with it now. I’ve got my head around it. I know what our team’s going to be, how we need to prepare. We’ve trained well.” The Warriors are entering the game off the back of five consecutive away wins, including their Challenge Cup final victory at Wembley in May.
Additional absences for Wigan include Liam Marshall and Ethan Havard, further depleting the squad ahead of the traditionally intense local rivalry.
On the other side, St Helens enter the match without any new injury concerns but continue to cope with an extensive list of unavailable players. Coach Paul Rowley noted the ongoing challenges with several key athletes sidelined, including Jonny Lomax, Mark Percival, George Whitby, Matty Lees, Deon Cross, Lewis Murphy, and Noah Stephens. “It’s a little bit same again,” Rowley commented. “I’m not sure what the tally is but we’ve got a team injured, but our squad won’t change much this week.”
Both teams face selection difficulties as they prepare for what is expected to be a closely contested encounter in the Magic Weekend, with Wigan having to adjust their lineup significantly due to injuries, while St Helens manage a long-term injury list.