HULL KR coach Craig Sandercock admits he is hopeful of having vice-captain Kris Welham back in his side for the Super League play-offs.
Welham hasn't played for Rovers since suffering a shoulder injury in their 44-18 home win over Wakefield on May 19.
That was thought to have been a season-ending injury at the time and was a massive blow to Rovers' ambitions.
However, the 26-year-old, who has suffered an injury-hit 12 months, has been back training for the past fortnight and Sandercock admits he has the play-offs in sight.
"Kris is one of the 10 injured players we are hoping may be back for the play-offs," Sandercock told the Mail.
"He's training really well and it's just a matter of whether he can do contact.
"He is putting his hand up telling me he wants to be involved.
"I don't want to talk too much about it until it happens.
"The backroom staff have been very important for us.
"We don't have the resources of other teams, so those people have to work extreme hours to get players back playing.
"Hopefully their hard work will pay off by getting some of them back."
Whilst he has positive news on Welham, Sandercock knows he will be without full-back Greg Eden and prop Ryan O'Hara, who have been ruled out for the season.
However, he hopes a number of others, including Mickey Paea and Cory Paterson will join Welham in being ready for the knockout stages of Super League.
"We're hoping Graeme Horne will have half a chance of playing against London next weekend," he added.
"Jason Netherton picked up a hip flex injury and he will miss the Widnes game, but hopefully that will be the only match he misses.
"The rest are week by week and we're doing the best we can to get their rehab in and get some semblance of a side ready for the play-offs.
"It's touch and go at the moment about getting them back.
"There's nobody back for this weekend's game."
With injuries still leaving his squad light, Sandercock admits there won't be too many changes to the side which beat Leeds 16-12 the last time out.
"It will basically be the same squad that played against Leeds a fortnight ago," he said.
"They played really well that night.
"The key for them is to be able to produce that kind of performance on a weekly basis.
"It's a big challenge for the team to do that this week at Widnes.
"I've not thought too much about the Leeds game because we have been getting ready for Widnes.
"But if we can defend the way we did against Leeds that will be important, because Widnes can score points.
"We need to get our defence in order, especially on their iPitch."
