SAINTS coach Paul Wellens gave a fitness update on three of his players after the Challenge Cup win at Headingley.

They went into the game without Lewis Dodd (groin) and Tommy Makinson (hamstring) meaning Moses Mbye switched to scrum half and Waqa Blake continued on the wing.

And then they lost loose forward Morgan Knowles with a bang on the arm in the first half.

Coach Paul Wellens was asked for an update on Dodd and he responded: "He's doing OK.

"He had no chance to play this week but there is a chance he could play next week and we're hopeful.

"But again, we will have to assess him during the week it's an injury where you don't want to push it and you don't want to take unnecessary risks.

"I'll lean on the physios more so because that's their area of expertise and obviously as a coach I am hoping that Lewis will be back playing because he's been playing so well for us.

"But if he's not then Moses Mbye has shown tonight he can do a really good job for us."

He explained the nature of the injury and why that type of strain is so problematic for a player called upon to do so much tactical kicking.

"It is a slight abductor strain but because he is a kicker of the ball that's the challenge," he said.

"If we didn’t expect him to kick the ball as much it would not be as much of an issue, but obviously you need your number seven kicking the ball and kicking the ball well.

"So obviously we'll make a sensible call during the week. We're hopeful he will play, but if not then we'll adapt.

"He felt it slightly last week but we didn't quite know the extent of the damage then.

"But we've had a scan in the week and it shows signs that there is a bit of a strain there, which we obviously we need to respect," Wellens said.

Saints lost Knowles after he took a bang on his arm in the first half.

Wellens said: "We'd envisage it being hopefully not too serious. The doctor seems to think it was a bang on a nerve so he couldn't keep his hands still.

"His hand was shaking in a really bizarre manner. But it's something that will get checked out.

"Morgan, being Morgan was saying ‘look, my hand’s not great, but I'll go back out on the field if you need me’ .

"But again, that's what I love about the players.

"Morgan is as tough as they come, but sometimes as a coach I have got to make sensible decisions and I think saving Morgan from having to go back that back out on the field with hand not being quite in the right way is probably the sensible thing to do tonight."

Makinson, who pulled out in warm up last week with an lower back/hamstring issue has been given a chance to play in Good Friday's derby at home to Wigan.

Wellens said: "We'll monitor him during the week.

"Obviously that tight back issue just didn't seem to go away during the week and again you don't want to take unnecessary risks - and with Jon Bennison doing such a good job there on the weekend, it would have been a risk playing Tommy.

"We are hopeful that Tommy comes through, gets back fit because we all know how good of a player Tommy is when he's out there fit and at his best.

"So that's the challenge for us this week to see if we can get him there.

"But again, like I said with Lewis, if he is not then someone will be there to put their hand up and do a good job as well."