Wigan Warriors: Matty Peet says Bevan French will feature in Thursday's game against Hull FC and confirms the extent of Kai Pearce-Paul's injury

The 26-year-old has been named in the matchday squad for the first time this season.

Although Peet stated French would be involved, he would not reveal in what capacity.

He said: “He will play, but I won’t say where. He is exciting and unpredictable. He has a great talent, and can beat people in small spaces. We won’t be expecting too much from him this week, we want him to get back on the field and enjoying his game.

“He’s shown glimpses that he is ready to compete. He’s back amongst the lads and enjoying training, working hard.

“We all know what brilliance he is capable of, but I’ll just be happy to see him back out there playing as part of the team. We are just here to support him, I’ll give him as long as it takes.

“It was a concern that we would have to look after him to make sure he had recovered emotionally as well as physically, but it’s not really seemed like a big issue. He’s very close with some of the lads and staff, so has fitted straight back in with a smile on his face.

“I’m sure he has had some tough moments, but he is happy to be back with his teammates and doing what he does best. Credit to him, he’s a great lad and we are proud by the way he has conducted himself.

“He can play on the wing, fullback, in the halves. We could decide to go with two fullbacks either side of the field. So we’ll experiment and explore different opportunities. It might be that he plays off the bench.

“It’s a positive for us. We’ve got more than 17 players who deserve a shirt and I wish I could pick, so it’s about balancing the right people in the right games.

“I just think it’s about honesty and picking a team to win. It’s all about what’s best for the team and the culture of the club, not one individual. Everyone knows you’ve got to put the group first, and you’ve got to handle things in the right way.”

Iain Thronley also returns to the squad for the Hull FC game after recovering from an injury, while Brad Singleton is back from suspension.

“We can’t wait to see Iain out there,” Peet added.

“We recruited him for a reason because he’s a big strong ball carrier. He’s applied himself really well through all pre-season and during his injury. I can’t praise him enough on and off the field, he’s been exceptional.

“It’s great to have Brad back too. He was playing alright for us and starting games well. He’s a strong player for us. I believe our middle unit has been playing well recently, but it is set for its sternest challenge. Hull are a very big and aggressive team, so it’ll be all hands on deck.”

Peet also discussed the injury Kai Pearce-Paul picked up in Friday’s win over Salford, and stated he would be out of action for the next few months.

“He’s torn some ligaments in his adductor, the scans have confirmed that,” he explained.

“We are just waiting for confirmation whether it will need an operation or not. We are looking at a good few months. It’s unfortunate but it’s part of the game, and that’s why we like to build strength in depth.

“It gives Kai an opportunity to do a little bit of work on himself in the gym, but at the moment he is still hurting from what is some bad news for him.

“We’d rather have Kai fit but the fact that we have Iain (Thornley) and Bevan available at the same time, make you glad you’ve got a strong squad.”