Leigh Leopards provide injury update on Bailey Hodgson with prognosis given
leigh leopards head coach Adrian Lam has delivered a fresh injury update on full-back Bailey Hodgson after Thursday’s 54-0 loss to Wigan Warriors. Lam confirmed Hodgson has suffered a grade two tear to his PCL and faces up to eight weeks on the sidelines rather than the season-ending ACL feared immediately after the match. The setback arrives ahead of Friday’s home meeting with Catalans Dragons (kick-off 20: 00 ET), forcing urgent selection decisions.
Immediate update and prognosis
Adrian Lam offered the clearest medical picture available: “There’s some positive news which we’re very grateful for and whilst it’s still long-term, it’s not as bad as first thought. ” He added: “He’s got a grade two tear on his PCL so that will be up to eight weeks out, plus, so we’re looking at two months for that. He’s in good spirits, he’s in a good place, and he’s out working as we speak and ripping in. ” That prognosis reduces the duration of Hodgson’s absence compared with the initial fear of an ACL injury and gives the medical team a defined recovery window to manage.
Leigh Leopards squad impact
The injury to Hodgson compounds a stretched matchday picture. Head coach Adrian Lam confirmed the squad is depleted, with the club missing ten first‑teamers for the Catalans fixture; Bailey Hodgson (knee), Joe Ofahengaue (calf) and Matt Davis (head) all left the field early in the Wigan defeat and will miss Friday’s game. David Armstrong remains sidelined following an ACL rupture last season and a subsequent setback this year, though Lam suggested Armstrong could return to action within the next four weeks.
That trimming has pushed new faces into the matchgroup and opened opportunities for squad players. Names circulated for selection include Keanan Brand, Tesi Niu, Josh Charnley, Adam Cook, Lachlan Lam, Robbie Mulhern, Frankie Halton, Owen Trout, Isaac Liu and Jacob Alick‑Wiencke among those available for selection, while AJ Towse and Louis Brogan are carrying knocks despite being named in the wider group.
Catalans clash and what to watch next
The fixture offers an immediate test of depth: Catalans have also shuffled personnel after a heavy defeat last week, with changes in their matchday group. Catalans boss Joel Tomkins has made alterations to his squad and will be without captain Ben Garcia due to injury, while Guillermo Aispuro‑Bichet, Lenny Marc and Léo Darrélatour are among the players introduced into the group.
Kick‑off for the Leigh home game is 20: 00 ET on Friday, and the contest will measure how quickly both clubs can reset after bruising losses. For leigh leopards the key will be how the coaching staff reshuffle the spine without Hodgson and whether Armstrong’s nearer return materializes to restore pace to the backline.
What’s next: medical updates will follow from the club as Hodgson begins rehabilitation, with the eight‑week window shaping short‑term planning; attention now turns to Friday’s 20: 00 ET kickoff and the team news revealed ahead of kick-off, while squad fitness and Armstrong’s potential return within the next four weeks are the developments most likely to shift selection and tactics.
