Star prop Junior Paulo's disappointing season for the Parramatta Eels has reportedly been cut short, with a foot injury requiring surgery.
Parramatta interim coach Trent Barrett confirmed Paulo had suffered an injury that "wasn't looking good" after Thursday night's loss to the South Sydney Rabbitohs which has left the club firmly planted at the bottom of the NRL table with just nine rounds left to play.
There was some hope the former New South Wales State of Origin player would be able to return this season, but that now appears to have been squashed, with the club confirming he has suffered a Lisfranc injury in his right foot.
While speculation originally suggested the injury was a less serious one, Paulo will now, according to the club, consult a surgeon on Monday and be ruled out for a period of eight to ten weeks.
Paulo, who was unable to finish Thursday's loss to the Rabbitohs after sustaining the injury, is unlikely to be rushed back by Parramatta with attention instead turning to 2025 for the club who are all but out of finals contention.
Parramatta, who sacked Brad Arthur earlier this year, are in the process of appointing a new full-time coach, and they will want to hit the ground running for pre-season in November, with Paulo unlikely to play a game or two at the end of the season if that's all he could return for.
Paulo, who has predominantly played from the bench in 2024, has suffered through a difficult season by his own standards in an Eels' side who have won only 4 of their 16 games.
The Eels currently have numerous players on the sidelines, with Paulo joining the likes of Maika Sivo, Kelma Tuilagi, Haze Dunster, Bailey Simonsson and J'maine Hopgood injured, while Ofahiki Ogden is due to return as soon as next week.