ASIDE from Regan Grace’s season-ending ruptured Achilles Saints have a mixed picture on the injury front concerning Curtis Sironen, Tommy Makinson, Mark Percival and Will Hopoate.

On the plus side Sironen’s bicep injury is not as bad as first feared and in more positive news England wing Makinson returns after a four-match absence.

Coach Kristian Woolf is also making positive noises about full back Hopoate, who went off early in the Huddersfield game with a pectoral injury.

On the debit side is the continued absence of strike centre Percival with a bruised bone injury that has proven difficult to heal since it was sustained against Warrington in May.

After being hopeful that the international three-quarter would be back within the fortnight, the nature of the injury means there is now no time-frame for his possible return.

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With Grace out of action, it will be a relief to get Makinson back on the flank for Sunday’s home clash with Castleford.

Woolf said: “It will be great to get Tommy back because we know what he offers the team.

“He brings 18-20 carries a game, he finds a way to finish things and he does a lot of the little things well and he is really complete player for his position.

“The thing that he brings to us the most is that he brings a real energy and a desire for the contest and that is infectious and it is going to be great to have that back in the team.

“He takes some heat off the forwards with his work-rate and willingness to put his hand up. But he also finds you points when they are not necessarily there.

“You can never rely on one player, but he is one who is going to come back in and make an impact.

“He is the only one who is going to return to the team this week unfortunately.”

Mark Percival’s bruised knee bone is proving more problematic than what was initially expected to be a short term niggle.

The England centre has already missed the past eight Super League games – and Woolf was unable to put a timeline on his eventual return to the fold.

He said: “Mark Percival is a bit of a difficult one at the moment.

“Going right back to the initial injury it is only bone bruising on the knee.

“The initial diagnosis was a short-term niggle of three-to-four weeks.

“For whatever reason that just has not healed the way that we would have expected it to.

“At this stage there is no timeline on it – it just has not healed unfortunately.

“We are looking for some more answers as to how to speed that up and get him back on the field, but it is not going to be in the next week or two.

“We are certainly hopeful that it is not too far down the track.”

The outlook is more positive for Will Hopoate, who has endured a frustrating in-out spell in his first year at the club since joining from NRL side Canterbury.

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After having a fine game at Magic, producing some telling match winning passes, the Tongan test player suffered a pec and head injury stopping a first minute Huddersfield raid.

He has missed the past two games and will also sit out Sunday’s clash with Castleford.

“Will is progressing really well,” Woolf said.

“It is not going to be this week – and he has not done any contact progression to make sure he can handle that. And that will start this week.

“There is a really good chance he will be back next week if he keeps progressing really well – and if it is not then it will certainly be the week after.”