THERE are no fresh injury concerns within the Warrington Wolves squad ahead of Saturday's clash with St Helens.
And head coach Sam Burgess has confirmed the route he will take to cover for Paul Vaughan's enforced absence from the team, with Zane Musgrove set to replace him in the starting front row.
Vaughan will miss the final three games of the regular season following his sending-off during Friday's defeat to Leigh Leopards, with The Wire's challenge of the Grade D head contact charge handed to the prop dismissed at the Operational Rules Tribunal on Tuesday evening.
Burgess confirmed James Harrison, who has started the majority of games alongside Vaughan in the front row this year, was not yet ready to return from the lower-leg injury that kept him out of the Leigh defeat.
As such, it will be Musgrove who fills the void Vaughan leaves in the starting team for what would be just his third start of the year, with 22 of his 24 appearances coming from the bench.
"Jimmy won’t play this week – he’s not quite right yet," Burgess said at his weekly press conference.
"There’s players like Max Wood and Matty Nicholson who are ready to come in.
"I’ve lost my two starting front-rowers, which isn’t ideal but as we’ve done all year and just get on with it.
"We’ll look to get Zane a start this week and get a bit more time into people like Philbo (Joe Philbin) and (Jordy) Crowther. Those guys are ready to go."
Nicholson was left out of the side that lost 16-12 to the Leopards, with Burgess confirming that was a selection decision as opposed to an injury concern due to his desire to see how John Bateman and the returning Lachlan Fitzgibbon went in the back row.
The Canberra Raiders-bound England international will return to the Wire team to face Saints and Burgess insisted his best team does feature him.
"There was no injury with him. He’s been playing big minutes for me all year and I needed to see Bateman and Fitzy in the back row," the Wire boss said.
"Nicho will play again this week – he’s in my best 17 yet but I just don’t know where. We’re still working that out but we’re getting there.
"It was probably my hardest team to pick last week but it’s a good position to be in.
"Generally, we’re all pretty good as it stands, other than Vaughany."
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