The Canterbury Bulldogs are reportedly resigned to Stephen Crichton being out for the remainder of the finals series with an ankle or foot injury, while there are also fears around the fitness of Viliame Kikau.
The blue and white lost in Melbourne on Friday night, and returned to Sydney wounded and weary on Saturday, with the club now needing to prepare for a semi-final against either the New Zealand Warriors or Penrith Panthers next Saturday evening at Homebush.
Crichton is still awaiting scans on a foot or ankle injury, but the Bulldogs are unlikely to have him available for the remainder of the finals series.
Even a minor syndesmosis or lisfranc injury will rule him out for the next three weeks, and likely the Pacific Championships where he otherwise would have lined up for Samoa beyond that.
The new fears for the Bulldogs are around the fitness of second-rower Viliame Kikau.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, there are fears the representative forward has suffered a potentially fractured eye socket.
He returned to Sydney and was pictured at Sydney Airport on Saturday sporting a swollen eye.
Kikau played through the contest after a stray elbow caused the injury in the opening two minutes. He was forced off for a HIA, but passed and was able to return to the park.
Kikau will need scans to confirm the extent of the injury, but on the surface would seem unlikely to play next week at the very least given the swollen state of his eye.
The Bulldogs also have fears that Enari Tuala will miss out with a calf injury. Bronson Xerri should return from a concussion, and they have no suspension issues to worry about.
Still, the blue and white will almost certainly head into next week's game understrength again, as they were in Friday's narrow loss to Melbourne.
