Wigan Warriors face an anxious wait to discover the extent of the ankle injury that forced John Bateman off in England’s clash with the Combined Nations All Stars.
Bateman started the game at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in the second row but limped away from an awkward tackle just before the half-hour mark.
The 27-year-old received treatment and tried to play on before leaving the field in clear discomfort a couple of minutes later. Sky Sports reported that Bateman had suffered an injury to his right ankle and wouldn't return.
Bateman had been an ever-present for Wigan this year before losing that record on Thursday night as Adrian Lam’s team went down 14-6 at Wakefield Trinity, a third straight defeat.
The Warriors will be hoping for good news on Bateman’s injury over the weekend, with games against Warrington Wolves and St Helens coming up next week.
In more positive news, Liam Farrell scored England’s two first-half tries as Shaun Wane’s men went into the break 14-12 behind.
His first was a sensational effort that saw him do All Stars full-back Jake Connor for pace before running a nice line to crash over for his second.
