Penrith prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard has narrowly avoided a long stint on the sidelines after suffering a broken jaw in NRL pre-season training.
The NSW and Australian prop is expected to be right for the 2019 season kick-off despite the injury.
The Panthers said Monday's injury was in a different spot to the broken jaw which ended his 2018 State of Origin campaign after just one game.
The 25-year-old had 10 screws and two plates surgically implanted into his jaw after a collision in June with Sydney Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
He is expected to miss four to 10 weeks, meaning he will likely be fit for the Panthers' pre-season trials against South Sydney on February 23 and Parramatta a week later.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Had he suffered the break in a similar spot to his previous injury, he would have been facing a significantly longer recovery time.
"It's not in the same place as his previous fracture," Panthers executive general manager Phil Gould said.
"It's not as serious. He will see (the) surgeon to make sure but we anticipate no surgery required.
"He won't be chewing his food during the Christmas break. But he will be right for trial matches."
