Thompson facing up to lengthy spell on sidelines

Oldham RL Club’s young loose-forward Liam Thompson fears he could be sidelined for another two months following surgery on a fractured cheekbone.

He has already been out for six weeks after going down injured in a clash of heads with team-mate Kenny Hughes on March 9, when he suffered three fractures under an eye socket. A metal plate was insierted to help the repair.

“I’m making good progress, but one side of my face is still swollen because it takes time for the plate to bed-in properly,” said Thompson. “If I hadn’t needed the plate I might have been playing again by now. As things stand I could be looking at another two months. At best it’s going to be quite a few weeks.”

The talented 22-year-old has been dogged by bad luck since he followed Josh Crowley from Widnes Vikings to Whitebank in the autumn of 2012. Thompson missed the early part of last season after an operation on a shoulder.

After a couple of games to settle in he was one of the club’s best and most consistently sound forwards, winning several man-of-the-match awards.

A former England schoolboys and Wigan academy prospect, he was looking forward to a good start in 2014. His injury came in only the second game.