The Wests Tigers will be forced to finish the 2021 NRL season without utility back Adam Doueihi.
One of the Tigers' only shining lights in an otherwise dismal season, Doueihi was left out of Michael Maguire's side to play the Penrith Panthers on Sunday afternoon when it was named earlier this afternoon.
It has now been reported that Doueihi has done a partial tear of his ACL and will be heading home to Sydney tomorrow.
UPDATE: @WestsTigers Adam Doueihi heading home tomorrow. Partial ACL tear. Did same knee in 2018. Needs more scans. Fingers crossed๐ค๐
— christian nicolussi (@mrchrisnico) August 24, 2021
More scans will follow, with a recovery timeline then worked out for Doueihi. If the injury remains at the "partial tear" status, then it's understood he could spend anywhere between five and seven months on the sideline.
That would set his return date between January and March, with the 2022 NRL season set to kick-off on Thursday, March 10, provided the NRL operate on the same timeline as they have done previously.
Should the injury be worse than first though, Doueihi could miss up to nine months, which would certainly rule him out of the beginning of the 2022 season.
At any rate, his pre-season will be heavily impacted.
Doueihi has been a rock for Michael Maguire's struggling side this season, with the Tigers currently sitting in the bottom four. He has played between the halves and centres, while scoring nine tries in his 20 appearances.
Jock Madden has been called into the side to replace Doueihi this weekend.
