Ollie Partington timeframe confirmed as Salford welcome back Danny Addy

Salford coach Paul Rowley has confirmed they will be without Ollie Partington for up to 10 weeks, with the key forward requiring a knee operation.

The 24-year-old made an impressive start to life with the Red Devils following his off-season move from Wigan, winning the club’s Player of the Month award for February.

However, he is now set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.

“Ollie Partington needs an operation on his knee so he will be around the 10-week mark or something like that,” Rowley told Love Rugby League.

“Knowing Ollie, he’ll be trying really hard in rehab to get back before that. The doctors and physios like to wrap you up and on’t give you back until you are 100% so we’ll see.

“It was fully deserved as well (Player of the Month), he’s been brilliant.

“I think its important rather dwelling on things that you can’t change, I think it’s important that Ollie focuses on the opportunity that this will give him to come back fresh and absolutely buzzing at a really important part of the season when other teams might be picking up some tired bodies or knocks.

“There is a lot of the season left for Ollie when he comes back and I’m expecting big things from him. I know he’ll start from where he left off and hopefully he can have an injury-free back end of the season for Salford and in to the big games.”

Rowley also confirmed that Joe Burgess’ shoulder injury isn’t as bad as first thought. The winger is only expected to miss around two weeks of action.

Ollie Partington ruled out but Danny Addy comes in

The Red Devils have been down on troops in the first couple of rounds of the season, but they could welcome back Scotland international Danny Addy for Sunday’s game against Wakefield.

“He’s available this week,” Rowley said. “We’ve not picked the team yet but he’s available, definitely.

“He’s been amongst the group for a while now. He’s a popular character but more importantly he’s a good footballer.

“I think if Danny does play, then we can’t expect to see him at his best. He needs time to get match fitness.

“He’s an experienced player and knows how to manage himself in a rugby match, so we’ll keep it simple. Everyone is delighted to see him back from a long-term injury.”

The price is Wright

Rowley was full of praise for Australian forward Shane Wright after last week’s 60-14 win at Hull.

“I think it was his performance in a Salford shirt,” Rowley said.

“As a back-rower, we’ve flirted with playing him in the middle because he’s tough enough and his energy is fantastic.

“But as a back-rower, I thought we saw something different from him like his detail and running lines, which were fantastic.

“He played with a lot of composure and was really solid on that edge for us and for him to get a couple of tries was a reward not just for his effort in the Hull game, but I think since he has joined the club. We were all pleased for him.”

Salford host Wakefield at the AJ Bell Stadium on Sunday afternoon, 3pm kick-off.

READ NEXT: Dan Sarginson shares heartfelt message after calling time on his career