South Sydney Rabbitohs star fullback Latrell Mitchell is set for an eight-week stint on the sideline, putting him in doubt for State of Origin Game 1.
The Rabbitohs confirmed on Monday afternoon that MRI scans showed a hamstring tear for Mitchell, who lasted just 20 minutes before being brought from the field during Saturday's clash with the St George Illawarra Dragons.
South Sydney would go on to win the game, with Jason Demetriou's side putting on 24-points, however, Mitchell's injury was a cause for concern coming out of the game.
The club's head physiotherapist said in a video released on the South Sydney website that the tear was in the tendon, rather than the muscle, which would delay the process of returning to the football field.
"As everyone would have seen from our game on the weekend, unfortunately, Latrell Mitchell was unable to complete the game," Farah said.
"He went down with a hamstring injury, reported feeling a pull or a grab in his hamstring and was unable to finish the game.
"Unfortunately, the MRI scan he had the next day confirmed what we expected. There was a definite tear in the hamstring and the tear was located in the tendon, rather than the muscle.
"What that means is that recovery will be a lot slower.
"The tendon will heal a lot slower than the muscle strain, so we expect Latrell to be out for around eight weeks."
Mitchell missed the opening weeks of the season with a suspension carried over from last year, and the hamstring injury will come as a fresh blow to an inconsistent Rabbitohs outfit to start 2022.
Blake Taaffe, who returned from his own injury last week via the interchange bench, is the most likely option to wear the number one jumper in Mitchell's absence.
The explosive 24-year-old could also miss the opening State of Origin game, after playing in the centres for Brad Fittler's New South Wales side last year, with Game 1 just a tick over eight weeks away.
The Redfern-based club will play their first game without Mitchell on Good Friday against the Canterbury Bulldogs, before they take on the Wests Tigers, Manly Sea Eagles, Brisbane Broncos, New Zealand Warriors, Canberra Raiders and Tigers again, with a bye to follow in Round 13 before Mitchell would be due to return.