Canterbury could be without forward Tevita Pangai Junior for up to six weeks following a calf injury sustained in Saturday's loss to Cronulla.
Pangai Junior played just 22 minutes for the Bulldogs after starting the match at lock before suffering a ruptured plantaris in the opening half of the contest in what was an innocuous incident.
A two-man tackle by Sharks pairย Wade Grahamย andย Royce Hunt left Pangai Junior on the ground before the former Bronco and Panther slowly rose to his feet.
The ailment left the 26-year-old on the sidelines and in a moon boot for the remainder of the evening, with doubt cast over his chances of a return in the coming weeks
Canterbury football boss Phil Gould has since confirmed the extent of the injury for Pangai Junior, who could miss more than a month with his latest setback.
@NRL_Bulldogs Tevita Pangai Jnr injury update. Scans reveal Tevita has ruptured the plantaris tendon at back of left ankle. Can take from 2 weeks to 6 weeks. Not common and not a major tendon, but uncomfortable. Recovery time can vary from patient to patient.
— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) July 3, 2022
Plantaris tendon rupture for Tevita Pangai Jr, 2-6 week recovery expected. Is a calf muscle, rarely injured & 10% of people actually donโt have one! Has little power/strength, so recovery usually quick once initial pain settles. Pretty much best case for a โpopโ in the calf pic.twitter.com/uDW97lUQcn
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) July 3, 2022
Pangai Junior wasn't the only casualty in the Bulldogs' 18-6 loss to Cronulla, with debutant Declan Casey stretchered off CommBank Stadium in the second half of the match.
An attempted tackle on Sharks forward Andrew Fifita left the first gamer requiring assistance from medical staff before being taken off the ground.
The Bulldogs are yet to disclose the extent of injury to Casey, however the youngster was spotted on his feet post-game.
"Pleased to report I've just seenย Declan Caseyย get up off the medi cab and walk into the dressing rooms with his family," Fox Sports' Lara Pitt said during the broadcast of the match.
"The update is that he is up and about."
Canterbury isn't scheduled to play in the NRL until July 17 when they will face the Rabbitohs due to their upcoming Round 17 bye.
The extended break will mean Casey could be fit to feature against Souths, while Pangai Junior may only miss limited opportunities.
