The Wests Tigers have confirmed Kai Pearce-Paul will go under the knife this week after sustaining a left pectoral muscle injury in the 10th minute of the Wests Tigers clash with the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday afternoon.
A timeline for Pearce-Paul's return to the field is yet to be determined, with the club opting to assess his recovery on a week-by-week basis following surgery.
A standard recovery timeline for a pectoral muscle rupture requiring surgery though sits at around 12 weeks, with the second-rower unlikely to play again before the finals, although he is a chance of featuring then and in the end of year Rugby League World Cup where he would nearly an automatic selection for England.
He joins Royce Hunt on the club's growing injury list, with Hunt also continuing his rehabilitation after surgery for a pectoral muscle tear suffered in Round 14.
Elsewhere, the Tigers' existing crop of injured players, such as Adam Doueihi, Alex Twal and Samuela Fainu, remain on track, with their recoveries progressing in line with previously outlined return timeframes.
Doueihi is expected in the coming weeks, as he is in the final stages of his recovery. Twal was given a 4-6 week timeline on June 3, and Samuela Fainu will be rehabbing his footy injury in the six to seven week timeline the club gave him.
All players continue to work through their respective rehabilitation programs under the guidance of Head of High Performance Peter Moussa and his support staff.
Pearce-Paul was having a great season with the Tigers, having a career-best season with his new team after joining from the Newcastle Knights.
The 25-year-old, in his third season, was averaging 35 made tackles per game at a 93.8% efficiency, 72.5 running metres per game, 2.3 offloads per game and scored four tries in 12 appearances, beating the number of tries he scored across the two seasons playing in Newcastle.
The club looks to restore depth across its roster in the coming weeks.
