James Bell Out 4-6 Weeks as Bulls Vs Hull Fc Looms

Hull FC will be without James Bell for four to six weeks, a setback that lands just before bulls vs hull fc and adds another change to an already stretched squad. He suffered a meniscus injury in training and has now been ruled out after his second knee injury of the season.

Bell Joins Hull FC Absentees

Bell had already missed the start of the campaign after a separate knee issue in pre-season training, so this latest blow sends him back out of the frame quickly. Hull are also without John Asiata because of a long-term hamstring injury, while Connor Bailey is facing several months out after breaking his collarbone in the defeat to Toulouse Olympique last time out.

The injury list does not stop there. Will Pryce is out for the season with an ACL injury, Herman Ese’ese has yet to return after an Achilles injury suffered last season, Jed Cartwright remains unavailable after a major hamstring injury, and Sam Lisone is recovering from a pectoral injury.

Odsal Squad Shifts

Matty Laidlaw missed the Bradford Bulls trip after suffering a concussion while playing for the reserves last week, and Bell, Bailey and Laidlaw all dropped out of the squad for Odsal. Hull responded by naming a 21-man squad that included Ethan O’Neill after his loan move from Leeds Rhinos, along with Ligi Sao, Callum Kemp, Lloyd Kemp and Will Kirby.

That mix leaves Andy Last working around several senior absences while Hull sit ninth in Super League and four points adrift of the play-offs after 10 rounds. For a side chasing ground in the table, the immediate task is simply getting enough fit forwards and loose-forwards onto the field at the same time.

Hull FC Table Pressure

The squad changes matter because the injuries are clustered in the same areas of the team. With Asiata out, Bell sidelined and Bailey unavailable, Hull have lost pieces from the middle and back-row group at once, and the Bradford trip arrives in the middle of that squeeze.