Manfredi plots return to action

The luckless winger – who hasn’t played a senior game since summer 2016 – is targeting a comeback at the end of April.

Shaun Wane had previously been unable to specify a likely time-frame.

Manfredi said: “I’m looking at another five months, so April-May time.

“It’s not too far off. I’ll miss the start of the season but I’m looking forward to getting out there.

“Like all operations it’s not 100 per cent guaranteed, but so far everyone is happy with it and hopefully it should be right this time.” Manfredi needed a second operation on his ACL after breaking down on his comeback in a reserves match last August – nearly 12 months to the day since suffering the serious injury.

“I can’t explain what I felt,” he said, of his failed comeback bid.

“I lost it completely. At one point, I thought, ‘I can’t do this again.’

“But I had the scans done and I went to see the surgeon and it turned out it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

“It was well fixable, just like a normal ACL injury.

“I had the second operation at the end of September, and hopefully it won’t be too long.”

Manfredi admits his recovery from this surgery has been easier to stomach than his rehab over the previous few months. “But it’s pre-season so it’s not hard watching the lads run up hills – it’s a lot tougher watching them play games!” smiled the 24-year-old.

“I’ll miss a few weeks of next season but it’s not the end of the world.”

An academy-product, Manfredi debuted in the double-winning 2013 campaign and made swift progress to claim a starting wing spot.

He did enough before his injury during the 2016 campaign to warrant selection in the Super League Dream Team.

In his absence last season, young wingers Tom Davies and Liam Marshall broke through into the team.

With Joe Burgess also in the squad, Wane is not short of wing cover, even accounting for Lewis Tierney’s move to Catalans.