The injury-hit Bulldogs have been dealt another crushing blow with gun recruit Viliame Kikau injured again at training.
As he was preparing to return from a two-week layoff due to a concussion suffered on the training paddock, the international backrower tore a pectoral on Tuesday.
Canterbury football boss Phil Gould broke the news while recording Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles with Gus podcast.
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Kikau was one of the biggest recruits of this season, having left two-time reigning premiers Penrith to join the Belmore club.
“I’ve just got word through that Viliame Kikau has torn a pec muscle at training,” Gould said.
“So he will be having surgery on Monday.
“That’s football… thunderbolts happen. You get a thunderbolt out of the blue.
“Surgery on Monday will probably determine his fate, but at the moment they’re hopeful of eight to 10 weeks (out) I suppose.”
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Kikau, 28, played 123 games for the Panthers before being squeezed out last year, and signing with the Bulldogs.
He’s also represented Fiji 16 times and is considered one of the most damaging backrowers in the game.
He played the first five games this season for his new club before a concussion at training forced him into a mandatory 11-day NRL stand-down, missing round six.
He was all set to return to the team for Sunday’s game against Parramatta, but now looks set to miss at least half the season.
The Bulldogs have won three of six games to date under new coach Cameron Ciraldo.
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