WATCH: Covid outbreak sees Castleford Tigers with "impossible task" getting Leeds Rhinos game on

The West Yorkshire outfit revealed today three players have tested positive, another six have needed to stand down due to track and trace plus one more who has seen family members contract the virus.

Add in a sizeable injury list, it means they are left with just 14 players for the Super League game at Emerald Headingley.

A trio of players will be given fitness tests tomorrow morning but the fixture hangs in the balance.

“It’s just been so difficult this year for numerous reasons - Covid, lockdown - and we’ve been pretty clear up until this time," said Powell, whose side have lost seven of their eight games since the sport resumed in August.

“We’ve been really diligent with the way we’ve been around the club and obviously you need a bit of luck with Covid with the way it’s been spreading

“But this has obviously really rattled us as a group. We’re in a bit of trouble here with Covid

"We’ve a significant number of players who are injured some long-term, some medium-term so we’re in a bit of trouble here.

“We’ve 14 fit players and three players who will be looked at in the morning who are real doubts.

"It’s a real tough situation to be in. Obviously we want to play the game and we have had to do all sorts of things to keep our season going: playing games in Lancashire four days after a really tough Challenge Cup fixture, fixtures moved all over the place and we’ve just got on with it.

"How this is going to pan out in the morning I don’t know. We have serious doubts over three players who are battling injuries so it’s coming at us from all sorts of angles."

Much now depends on how that trio fare in the morning.

Powell said: "They’re players that would allow us to fulfil the fixture.

"Clearly, we can’t play with 14 players. We’re really struggling in the outside backs and half-backs as well.

"We have a lot of issues there. Some of our younger players have been stood down as well. It looks an impossible task at the moment.

"If those three players were to come through the checks they have in the morning - they haven’t been able to train today - so that then moves it on to see whether they can take the field but it’s not ideal preparation by any stretch."

A club statement read: “Castleford Tigers have confirmed that three members of the First Team squad have received a positive result in the weekly round of Covid-19 tests conducted at Super League clubs.

“These players are now self-isolating for a minimum of 10 days as per the Government guidelines.

“As part of the track and trace protocols, a further six members of the Tigers squad have been stood down.

“The First Team Tigers squad will be tested again on Friday morning.

“At present this leaves the Club with fourteen fit players to be available for selection on Thursday night against Leeds Rhinos, with a further three players to be reviewed on Thursday morning in order to determine whether Castleford Tigers can fulfil this fixture.”

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James Mitchinson