Featherstone Rovers hoping injured stars can still play a part this season

​Head of medical services Aaron Scholes has revealed the timescales involved with each of the currently sidelined players, with half-back Johnathon Ford the closest to being able to come back.

He explained: "Johnathon Ford’s going very well, he’s back on the grass running, he’s back passing with that shoulder injury.

"We just need to build him up towards contact tackling and try and get him out involved with the lads as soon as possible.

"Four weeks in, we'd like to think in the next month he could be back involved in the squad."

On the others likely to be out for longer, Scholes said: “We had Jack Bussey who has successfully had an operation on his syndesmosis injury and a fracture fibula.

"The return to play time is around three months provided everything goes well so back before the end of the season, which is great news.

"Josh Hardcastle is a fairly big injury, a lot has gone on, multiple ligament issues and a couple of fractures in his knee.

"The specialist is very happy with how we've managed it early doors, he’ll be stuck in a brace for roughly six weeks, but he could be back inside three months as well, which would also be before the end of the season.

"Brad Day is a little bit lighter in terms of the injury himself, he has a medial knee ligament injury and could be back in two months, so the last five or six games leading into the play-offs.

"Junior Moors has a fractured thumb. He's had surgery and we're looking around the six-week mark for him to come back into training.”

Despite all the absences Rovers are pushing on towards their promotion goal with an eight-point lead over nearest challengers Batley Bulldogs and just one defeat in the Betfred Championship in 2023.

Next up is a long trip to Barrow Raiders this Sunday with head coach Sean Long expecting a tougher examination than in the home game with them last month when Fev ran out 64-6 winners.