SAINTS scrum half Luke Walsh will be missing for another five weeks after requiring surgery to repair his troublesome ankle.

The Australian linchpin has only recently returned after breaking his leg last July, but after needing 'two needles a game' to deal with a long-standing ankle injury an operation was deemed the only solution.

Saints coach Keiron Cunningham’s frustration at losing his key man barely five games into his comeback is probably matched by that of skipper Jon Wilkin, who will once again be thrown in to partner Travis Burns in the halves.

But the news did not come as a shock to the Saints boss, who has witnessed the number seven’s weekly routine as he copes with his injury.

Cunningham said: “It is heartbreaking. I knew leading into last week where we were going to be at.

“He went to see a specialist in London last Wednesday and we always knew it was not going to be great news.

“Luke has had an ankle problem from day one and had he not broken his leg last year his ankle would have been sorted out in pre-season.

"It could not have been done at the start of the year because it would have made the ankle unstable.

"There is not a surgeon in the country who would have done the operation while he had the fracture just because of the chance of infection in the bone and the instability in the ankle.

“I was hoping that he could have got through to the end of the year without needing it, but we have to do it now.

“It is not good for us as a team to have him playing on Friday and then missing Mondays and Tuesdays every week and then turning up on Thursday, limping through training, and then playing with injections – one before the game and one at half time – just to try and get through.

“We have to look at the welfare of the player, it is not fair on him. Nor is it helping us to build the combinations in training.”

Although Walsh will miss the big game against Warrington at Newcastle’s Magic and is a doubt for the home game against Wigan, he is expected back for the Challenge Cup quarter final tie.

Cunningham has again opted to go with the pairing that started to season, although Burns will have to adjust his style to be more dominant.

"We go back to square one with Wilko and Burns in the halves and run with that until Walsh is fit.

"We would ike to think he’ll be available for Wigan and if not then, the week after.

"There was never going to be a right time to do it. Among the next block of five or six there would always be a top team.

"I just said get him booked in and we may as well get it done now. At least we are going to have him for the big run in at the end."