South Sydney Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell may not play again this season, with fresh reports suggesting he is facing a similar uncertainty to Tom Flegler.
Flegler, a Dolphins forward, played the first five games of the 2024 NRL season before suffering a nerve problem in his shoulder which threatened his career.
Only two years of rehab and treatment were able to get him back on the field at the start of this year, and now Mitchell is in a similar predicament.
The Rabbitohs last week confirmed they had no return timeline for Mitchell as he consulted medical staff and specialists to get to the bottom of what was reported to be a back injury.
Speaking on Fox Sports show NRL 360 though, journalist Paul Crawley said Mitchell has a nerve problem in his leg and the club have no idea when or if Mitchell will be back.
“It has been reported he might struggle to come back this year. My understanding is that this nerve damage is similar to what Tom Flegler suffered,” Crawley said on the show.
“It's a nerve problem in his leg as far as I'm aware and it's similar to the Flegler situation in that they just don't know how or when he'll be back.
“I don't think they're counting on him to return this year, it's an indefinite thing.
“I don't know how certain everything is regarding a timeframe. There's no timeframe as I understand.”
The timing of the new report around the injury for Mitchell comes at a bad time for the star, with continuing talk over his future and long-term value.
South Sydney have paused all contract negotiations except with Tallis Duncan, and it has been theorised that Latrell Mitchell's future is a big part of the reason.
The Rabbitohs have exclusive negotiating rights with Mitchell until November 1, but his long-term status at the club makes a big difference on the overall position of their salary cap and potentially receruitment priorities on the open market.
Mitchell, who has played at centre this year, is a seven-figure player at his best even not at fullback, with Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett preferring Jye Gray to start the year, with recruit Matt Dufty now also spending time at the back.
