17 Jul 2017

Johnson out for up to 8 weeks

5:01 pm on 17 July 2017

The Warriors will be without injured playmaker Shaun Johnson for up to eight weeks after he pulled a ligament in Friday night's loss against Penrith.

Shaun Johnson is tackled by Penrith's Isaah Yeo.

Shaun Johnson is tackled by Penrith's Isaah Yeo. Photo: Photosport

Johnson limped off with a serious knee injury midway through the second half only to watch the Warriors concede three late tries in their 34-22 loss to the Panthers.

Initial diagnosis suggested the 26-year-old halfback may have suffered season-ending damage requiring surgery.

But team doctor John Mayhew says the injury isn't as serious as first feared and Johnson is expected to recover from the ruptured ligament in his left knee in six to eight weeks.

"This is a much better outcome than we had expected," said Mayhew.

"We had believed the injury was likely to be an ACL but scans have indicated this isn't so and Shaun won't need surgical intervention to repair the injury."