SAINTS coach Keiron Cunningham has not ruled out bringing in another player to occupy the full back berth in the light of the long-term injury sustained by Jonny Lomax.

That situation has been further exacerbated recently by the injuries sustained by Paul Wellens and Lance Hohaia, who would both normally slot into the last line of defence.

Wellens has undergone surgery on his hip and his fitness will be assessed in a couple of weeks.

Cunningham said: "Paul has basically got trouble hip trouble. I can't speak highly enough of him – what he does for the club and team every week is immense.

"Any normal player would not have the issue he’s got – its because its Paul Wellens and he pushes himself through that pain every week.

"His hip is not healthy – it can’t get any worse and he’s had surgery to try and help him but we will assess it in a couple of weeks to see where it is at. Hopefully Paul will be back again soon."

Last week Saints moved Tommy Makinson from wing to cover full back, but that may not be a long-term solution.

When asked if there was scope to bring in an additional player to bolster the full back options Cunningham replied: "We never say never, but we are pretty tight on the salary cap. If I can bring some one in, then I will."