THERE is mixed bag of news on injury front ahead of Friday's clash with Wigan - but no guarantees at this stage that any of the absentees will return.

Saints were without hooker Daryl Clark, packman Sione Mata'utia and Konrad Hurrell for Friday's defeat - with the trio joining the likes of long term casualties Alex Walmsley, Jake Wingfield, Joe Batchelor, Morgan Knowles, Matt Whitley and Tommy Makinson on the sidelines.

There had been hopes that loose forward Knowles would be ready to re-appear - but there has been a frustrating wait.

Wellens said: "Daryl Clark could be in with a chance of coming back in this week, but Morgan Knowles is probably going to miss out again."

There was also a degree of uncertainty - for now - about Mata'utia and Hurrell.

Wellens added: "Sione has got a bit of a neck issue which we're hoping clears up, but it's becoming something that's proving a bit more difficult than we first envisaged.

"Konrad – a bit like Sione - has got to see a specialist today on whether he will be able to play on the weekend as well.

"So there's a number of things still up in the air at the moment in time, but all that will be cleared up by the time we train tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon."

The initial timeframe for England loose forward Knowles was a return the week after the International break.

Although frustrating for player and staff alike, there does not seem like there will be an imminent return.

Wellens said: "It's a frustrating one with Morgan.

"He's just not quite getting there at this moment in time which is frustrating, more so for him than anybody but for us all.

"I think what people have got to understand with Morgan is that for nearly two years now, he’s been managing this issue.

"So that can be hugely frustrating and really mentally fatiguing for a player.

"What we're all conscious of is that when we get Morgan Knowles back we want the best version of Morgan Knowles and not set him up for another two years of exactly the same thing so you know we have to be sensible.

"If we're picking a team to win one game here and now you're perhaps pushing Morgan Knowles into playing, but that's not the that's not the best for him.

"That's not best thing for his long term health, and it's not the best for the for the long term future of the team as well.

"So sometimes we have to make strong decisions which go against actually what you want to do. And in the case of Morgan, that's been that way for the last couple of weeks.