Widnes centre Krisnan Inu is facing a lay-off of up to three months after revealing he broke a leg in his side's Good Friday derby defeat by Warrington.
The former New Zealand international, who joined the Vikings from Catalans Dragons in the close season, underwent surgery on Wednesday and took to social media to confirm his worst fears.
"Just to clear the air on those wondering, since I've just had my op a few hours ago, now I'm pretty sure I can say it's about 10-12 weeks on the sideline," Inu posted on Twitter alongside a picture of his injury.
"Sorry @WidnesRL fans.. I'll be back even stronger then before. Let's keep supporting our team and this great club!!"
In eight seasons in the NRL, Inu played for three clubs - Parramatta, the Warriors and Canterbury.
Inu made an impressive start to his Widnes career with six tries in his first six appearances and kicked two goals against the Wolves before sustaining the injury.
It is the second major injury blow for the Vikings, whose winger Patrick Ah Van broke an arm in the opening game against Catalans Dragons in February.
