Newcastle have been dealt a blow on the eve of their season-opener with gun rookie Krystian Mapapalangi set to be sidelined for "months" due to a shoulder injury.
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Mapapalangi wasn't named this week in Newcastle's NRL side to face the Warriors on Friday, but then wasn't listed in the club's NSW Cup line-up either.
The 20-year-old centre, who debuted last year and was expected to add to his two NRL appearances this season, is set to undergo surgery to fix a shoulder problem he battled through the trials with.
"He'll be back this year, but it will be months, not weeks," Knights football director Peter Parr told the Newcastle Herald.
"It's a blow for Krystian because he got a start late last year and we had some high hopes for him. But he will play again this year. That's a positive."
Mapapalangi's injury likely spells the end of a potential early exit for winger Dominic Young, who is departing the club at season's end.
"We've always been reluctant to let Dom go, so I would suggest that this just reinforces that," Parr said.
"Given that injury it would be highly unlikely we'd enter into any discussions regarding Dom now."
Newcastle face the Warriors in Wellington, New Zealand, at 6pm Friday (AEDT).
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