York Knights are facing up to being without captain Liam Harris for a prolonged period after he suffered a hamstring injury in the Challenge Cup win over Keighley Cougars.

Harris' two-try showing earned him the man of the match award but he is now set to lose his ever-present record.

It is a fresh blow for the Super League newcomers following the loss of veteran forward Jordan Thompson to a torn bicep.

Danny Richardson is poised to replace Harris when Mark Applegarth's team take on Wigan Warriors at the Brick Community Stadium on Thursday.

"Liam is going to have a bit of disappointment," said Applegarth.

"He knows it's a pretty prolonged period out. There's no hiding away from that and it's going to hurt for a day or two.

"But as soon as we get the severity of the strain, we’ll be able to put a plan in place.

"I'm gutted for him on a personal level because I know how hard he’s been working but he’ll be back. He's a good professional in that sense.

Liam Harris has been struck down by injury. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

placeholder image — Liam Harris has been struck down by injury. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

"It's a great opportunity for someone else to showcase their talents."

York ran in 11 tries against Keighley to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup.

The Knights reached the same stage in 2023 before losing to eventual winners Leigh Leopards.

This time, though, they are a Super League club with ambitions to follow in Leigh's footsteps and add a new name to the trophy.

Mark Applegarth is hoping the Challenge Cup returns to the LNER Community Stadium for the quarter-finals. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

"Naturally, you want a home draw," said Applegarth, whose side will discover their quarter-final opponents on Tuesday morning. "It's always nice to play at your home ground.

"You can have certain narratives either way. If you're at home, you've got your home crowd behind you and you can create a fortress mentality; if you're going away from home, you can create a siege mentality.

"The beauty of the cup is that it's a nice little side quest to the league campaign. It's cup rugby and you've got to nail 80 minutes. Form goes out of the window to a certain extent because it's a different kind of pressure.

"But we'll park that now until that round comes up. We've got a tough game on Thursday night that we're putting our full energy and attention into."