Hull FC’s player shortage has been worsened with a two-game ban for winger Bureta Faraimo.
The USA international has been handed a two-game ban by the RFL’s disciplinary panel for a Grade C high tackle.
Faraimo was red carded for the incident in the final minute of Hull’s 38-20 Challenge Cup win at Featherstone Rovers last Thursday.
It means that he will miss Sunday’s Magic Weekend clash with rivals Hull KR, as well the trip to Warrington the following Friday.
Hull FC’s threequarter options are now looking very thin, with both Fetuli Talanoa and Carlos Tuimavave going off with ankle injuries at Featherstone that are likely to rule them out of Magic.
However they do still have the services of Josh Griffin, who escaped a ban for punching in the melee that followed Faraimo’s tackle, with the incident deemed to be only minor contact.
The Black and Whites are also without their first-choice half-back partnership, with Albert Kelly out with a hamstring injury suffered in the defeat at Catalans, and Marc Sneyd with a knee injury from the win against Castleford, while back-up Jordan Abdull is out for the season (leg).
Hull’s forward pack is looking a little healthier although Scott Taylor missed the Cup tie with a shoulder injury, and Josh Bowden could be out for the season with knee ligament damage suffered on Thursday night.
Sunday’s opponents Hull KR will be without influential prop forward Robbie Mulhern, who faces 6-8 weeks on the sidelines with a Grade 2 medial ligament injury.
The news came as a relief to Rovers, who feared that he may have suffered an ACL injury which could have ended his season.
The Robins will have Danny Tickle available in Newcastle, as he avoided any suspension for a punch on John Bateman that resulted in his dismissal from Sunday’s 28-10 Challenge Cup defeat to Wigan.
