Castleford Tigers coach Andy Last waiting on injured quartet ahead of Leeds Rhinos challenge

The 2020 Super League Man of Steel was forced to sit out last week's heavy defeat at Huddersfield Giants after picking up a back issue against Wigan Warriors in the previous game.

Bureta Faraimo and George Griffin also missed the trip to the John Smith's Stadium with knocks, while Niall Evalds has been ruled out for up to six weeks with a shoulder injury.

McShane will be given every chance to prove his fitness ahead of the reunion with his old club but Alex Sutcliffe – another former Leeds player – is sidelined after sustaining a concussion and Joe Westerman was also forced off on Friday night.

"Hopefully, fingers crossed, we'll get Paul McShane, George Griffin and Bureta Faraimo back in the fold for the Leeds game," said Last.

"We'll have to see. Hopefully we'll be able to get some work into them from a physio point of view and they'll be able to play on Thursday.

"Nathan Massey has picked up a bit of a cut on his nose so he's had to be stitched up. Joe Westerman picked up a bit of a dead glute and wasn't able to return."

The Tigers host Leeds fresh from a fourth straight loss, leaving the club in danger of being cut adrift at the bottom with neighbours Wakefield Trinity.

A date with the Rhinos could be just the tonic for Castleford, according to Last.

"It's a big game," he said.

"Cas have obviously got a good history against Leeds. It brings out a passionate side to both sets of fans. I'm hoping the atmosphere is going to be good.

"They've had a good result against Wakefield so they'll be full of confidence. They've got some quality players.

"Rohan did a really, really good job of getting them to the Grand Final last year. He plays an expansive style of football and they've got some players who are going to challenge us.

"For us, it's about making sure we're better. There are a lot of areas we need to improve."

Castleford opened the scoring against Huddersfield through George Lawler – just their second try in three games – but lost their way in worrying fashion once the Giants took control.

There will be an element of treating the players with kid gloves in the early part of this week.

"It's just how we go about how we review it and being selective with what we say and how we say it," added Last.

"The guys are already a little bit low on confidence so we can't hit them over the head too much.

"We need to make sure that we pick out some of the positives in that game, albeit there weren't many.

"The big thing is that the players know they have to be better and work a little bit harder.

"When you're in a battle, the biggest thing you've got to do is stick together. What's real important for us as a group is we stick together and work our way out of this."