When will Josh Addo-Carr return for the Bulldogs? Canterbury winger’s comeback delayed

Josh Addo-Carr has been ruled out of Canterbury’s clash with the New Zealand Warriors after his bid to return early from injury hit a delay.

“The Bulldogs have ultimately decided to rest the star player for at least one more week as he prepares to make a return from a syndesmosis ankle injury,” the club noted in a statement ahead of their Round 11 match.

Josh Addo-Carr injury news
After initially being named to start against Andrew Webster’s side, Addo-Carr has since been ruled out on the eve of the contest as he continues to recover from an injury he sustained during the Bulldogs’ Good Friday’s loss to Souths.

“It’s literally a record if he does come back,” Jacob Kiraz said earlier in the week as Addo-Carr attempted to return to the field after just a month out.

“It’s crazy, because when he did it, he said he would come back in four weeks and everyone was saying, ‘yeah, yeah’,” Kiraz continued.

“Hopefully, he can pull off a miracle. He has to do a couple of tests and stuff he has to finish. Get training done and do it without any pain.

“He is a big part of our team, and I would love to see him out there.”

Addo-Carr’s rapid return comes as a shock after he was expected to be ruled out of action for at least another month following surgery. However, the club are confident it is just a small setback ahead of Round 11.

In the time Addo-Carr has spent on the sidelines, the Dogs have struggled losing three of their past four matches.

“My plan is to come back next week (against the Warriors),” Addo-Carr previously told News Corp.

“It’s going to come down to the physios and Cam (Ciraldo). I personally want to play.

“My ankle is feeling good now. It’s been a frustrating time. It’s been a different journey this year, it’s probably the longest stint I’ve had on the sidelines.

“I’ve been extremely blessed in the past with injuries, but I’ve been doing everything I can to get back playing and hopefully it’s next week.”

Will Josh Addo-Carr be available for Origin?
Following surgery, Addo-Carr was ruled out of the State of Origin opener with the NSW winger initially only expected to return in Round 15.

Addo-Carr was controversially overlooked by Brad Fittler last year but had responded to the setback in the best way possible after enjoying a strong end to 2022 which culminated in a World Cup triumph with Australia.

The opening game of the Origin series will kick off in Adelaide on May 31st with Addo-Carr’s revised return date meaning he may have two game to impress before the teams are named.

What happened to Josh Addo-Carr?
Addo-Carr added to Canterbury’s crippling injury toll when he hobbled from the field just 10 minutes into his side’s clash with South Sydney on Good Friday.

Following scans, the club’s General Manager, Phil Gould, later confirmed the star had been booked in for surgery and was expected to spend a considerable period of time on the sidelines.

The Bulldogs winger collapsed to the turf after trying to chase through a kick by Matt Burton. He clutched at his knee with initial fears being that he had suffered an ACL injury.

When will Josh Addo-Carr return from injury?
Gould provided the first update on Addo-Carr’s injury issue when he revealed he had been booked in for surgery after scan results showed he had suffered ligament damage to his right ankle and knee.

Following surgery, the club revealed the winger was expected to be out until Round 15. However, this has since been cut to a prospective return in Round 12 after his early comeback was delayed against the Warriors.