The Canterbury Bulldogs have confirmed Jaeman Salmon will miss up to six weeks, while Ryan Sutton is also facing another prolonged period of the sidelines.
Salmon, who would have missed the next two weeks suspended regardless for a dangerous shot on Te Maire Martin during Saturday afternoon's thrilling golden point win over the New Zealand Warriors, will likely spend six weeks on the sideline.
It was revealed post-game by the club's director of football Phil Gould that he had suffered a displaced jaw fracture requiring surgery.
That surgery - described as 'complicated' by Gould, has gone successfully, with Salmon set to be available for a return in Round 24.
Salmon's injury, which starts with a bye, will then see him miss games against the North Queensland Cowboys and Brisbane Broncos for which he would have been suspended anyway, as well as likely clashes against the Canberra Raiders and St George Illawarra Dragons, before being a chance to return for the Bulldogs' home game in Bundaberg against the Dolphins during Round 24.
All of those contests will be crucial for Canterbury as they push to play finals rugby league for the first time in a number of years, with Salmon, in his first year at the club, playing a pivotal role for the blue and white throughout the campaign.
Meanwhile, Ryan Sutton's chances of playing first-grade this season have been dashed.
A horror run with injuries has limited the 28-year-old Englishman to just 13 games since he joined the Bulldogs at the start of last season, with none of them coming this year.
He is now looking at another extended stint on the sidelines, with Gould confirming he has suffered a torn patella tendon in his left knee that will require a reconstruction.
Sutton is contracted to the Bulldogs until at least the end of next year, potentially giving him time to get fit over the off-season and salavge his career heading into 2025.