SAINTS have revealed the full extent of the injuries sustained by skipper Jonny Lomax and second row man Joe Batchelor in Friday night’s win over Leeds.

Coach Paul Wellens explained that Batchelor will be out for up to nine weeks, with captain Lomax sidelined for four weeks.

Batchelor’s absence is the latest of the injuries that have robbed the side of front line packmen Alex Walmsley, Jake Wingfield, Morgan Knowles and Matt Whitley.

Wellens said: “Joe Batchelor's got some pretty significant ankle ligament damage and it’s looking like it's going to be an eight to nine-week layoff for him.

“Jonny Lomax has got a fracture to his hand. Now we're not thinking that's going to require surgery.

“However he will be missing for around four weeks.

So it is obviously not good to lose, not just two players, but two very good players, so it's obviously going be a challenge for us but one that I will ask the team to rise to.”

In Lomax’s absence Moses Mbye could partner Lewis Dodd in the halves, or Jack Welsby could move to six with Jon Bennison at full back.

In the pack Sam Royle and Ben Davies come into the reckoning for the second row berth alongside Curtis Sironen