Reed Mahoney will learn on Sunday if he'll play again this NRL season as Parramatta consider the best course of treatment for the injured hooker's shoulder.
Mahoney was sent for scans on Saturday after sending a significant scare through the Eels camp when he left the field in agony late in Friday night's loss to South Sydney.
Parramatta have received the result of those scans but, with medical staff split between the Queensland hub and Sydney, are yet to make a final determination on them.
It's believed that will come on Sunday, and notably whether they can try and rehab Mahoney again or instead send him for season-ending surgery.
The 23-year-old came off second best while attempting to tackle Rabbitohs fullback Latrell Mitchell in the Eels' 40-12 defeat and was visibly upset on the sidelines.
Mahoney has already missed a month of football in 2021 with an injury to the left shoulder capsule in the same joint and is only three weeks into his return.
It was a heartbreaking sight as he cried on the sidelines on Friday night, with coach Brad Arthur admitting after the game he feared the worst.
"Initially we don't think it's great but he'll have to go and get scans tomorrow," Arthur said on Friday.
"It could be the end of him for the year but we won't know that until probably tomorrow."
How Parramatta are able to rehab Mahoney could well prove crucial in a season that is starting to spin out of control.
They have now slumped to their fourth loss from their past five games, and are at significant risk of dropping out of the four and finishing below Manly and the Sydney Roosters.
With four rounds left the Eels still have to face the Sea Eagles, Melbourne and Penrith - a worrying list of dates for a side down on confidence.
Arthur has his work cut out for him trying to bring his side back to life.
"Our start was better tonight in terms of effort and energy, but we can't be first to crack," he said.
"The last couple of games we haven't been good, but we can't panic.
"We did a lot of work early to get ourselves in a reasonable position but we just need to work out what we need to go and get right for next week."
