SAINTS will again be missing star scrum half Luke Walsh for Thursday’s round two Super League game at Salford.

The club had initially hoped that the influential Australian number seven would be on board to team up with compatriot Travis Burns for the opening encounters after recovering from a broken leg and badly damaged ankle.

But a couple of setbacks and injury niggles have deleayed his return – although boss Keiron Cunningham has not ruled out pitching him in for the mouth-watering World Club Challenge clash against South Sydney a week on Sunday.

Cunningham said: “Luke has no chance for Salford. He should have trained with us this week but he has had a couple of niggles and has ended up getting a virus, which has set his training back a few days.

“In training he has to tick a certain number of boxes before the physios will release him, but he can’t tick those boxes if he can’t train.

“With it being a long week next week we will see what that brings.

“It is not really an ideal situation to put him straight into a World Club game but then if that is what you have got to do. He is one of the best players in the world in my eyes.

“The influence he has on the team is probably worth that risk.”