Bulldogs back-rower Raymond Faitala-Mariner's season is in jeopardy after suffering a serious foot injury.
The club confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that the 27-year old is expected to be sidelined for 16-20 weeks after scans revealed he will require surgery due to an incomplete fracture of the navicular bone in his right foot.
"The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs can confirm Raymond Faitala-Mariner will be sidelined for 16-20 weeks due to a foot injury," the statement reads.
"The back-rower was sent for scans on Monday with the results showing he has suffered an incomplete fracture of the navicular bone in his right foot and will require surgery later this week."
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Confirmation from the Bulldogs of a navicular fracture for Raymond Faitala-Mariner, will require surgery & 4-5 month recovery. A small bone in the foot that has a very poor blood supply, extended time for adequate healing very important. Fails to respond to surgery in some cases
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 23, 2021
The injury comes off a solid 2020 performance which saw the back-rower play every match of the season and receive the Bulldogs Coaches Award.
The 27-year-old was rewarded for his impressive form in an otherwise disappointing year for the club, signing a two-year contract extension that sees him at Belmore until the end of 2022.
Faitala-Mariner debuted for the Bulldogs in 2016 after an 11 game season with the Warriors and has since played 76 matches for the Belmore club.
The club are confident that a successful rehab program will see Faitala-Mariner return by the end of the season.
The Bulldogs are set to face the Broncos in Brisbane on Saturday night, with both teams chasing their first win of the season.
