Coach Ryan Carr has provided a positive update on concussed Castleford Tigers star Krystian Mapapalangi.

The centre failed a head injury assessment following a high tackle from St Helens’ Kyle Feldt - who was sin-binned and later banned for three games - during Tigers’ Betfred Challenge Cup defeat last weekend. He was automatically stood down from tomorrow’s (Saturday) Super League fixture at Warrington Wolves, but Carr is confident he’ll miss only one match.

“He’s doing okay, the symptoms were okay,” Carr said in his weekly preview press conference today. “We kept a close eye on him for the 48 hours following the match, but he’s following the protocol now. We play Bradford next Thursday, which is the 12th day, so it’ll be our plan to get him back for that game.”

Mapapalangi has been Tigers’ most impressive player in the early weeks of the season and Carr admitted: “He has played awesome at the start of the year. It’s a tough loss for us, but we’ll have to get on with it - it’s next man up mentality.”

Krystian Mapapalangi is expected to return from injury next week when Castleford Tigers play host to Bradford Bulls. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.

placeholder image — Krystian Mapapalangi is expected to return from injury next week when Castleford Tigers play host to Bradford Bulls. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.

Half-back Jenson Windley and pre-season signing Aidan Doolan - who can play hooker, half-back or loose-forward - have been drafted into Tigers’ 21-man squad and both could feature against Warrington. “There’s a few people we have got to get a check on in the next 24 hours,” Carr revealed.

“We have a squad of 21 there and everyone knows they could be called upon at any time. There’s a few knocks here and there among our squad, but we have full confidence in any of those guys to come in and do a job.”

Though Tigers have won only one of their opening four league fixtures, Carr is confident his new-look side are making progress. He insisted: “Every game we’ve played, either at half-time or just afterwards, we have been in.

Jenson Windley, seen in action against Leeds Rhinos last year, has been drafted into Castleford Tigers' squad for Saturday's game at Warrington Wolves. Picture by Olly Hassell/SWpix.com.

“That’s not okay, but we are competing really well. We are giving ourselves a chance, but we have got to start taking those chances now. That’s the next evolution for this group and this squad.”

Carr described Tigers’ opponents in Saturday’s BBC-televised clash as “good across the park”, but stressed: “We are really focused on ourselves, because the things that have been letting us down as a group are things we’re in control of.

“It’s not so much what the opposition’s doing to us, it’s more things we need to make sure we can control better in a game. We are going to learn some tough lessons this year as a group. We have to, if you don’t you are putting a Band-Aid over things and it’ll come back to bite you eventually.

“I’m fully aware we are going through a growing period and there’s going to be growing pains. When we get things wrong we have to learn from them, which we have been doing.

Castleford Tigers coach Ryan Carr. Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com.

“We’ve improved in a lot of areas we probably weren’t getting right throughout pre-season and the early rounds. It’s part of being a new team and a new group; we have to make sure we learn as quickly as possible - that’s going to be the key.”

Warrington Wolves: from Josh Thewlis, King, Hopoate, Ashton, Williams, Sneyd, Yates, Walker, Harrison, Stone, Currie, Powell, Byrne, Crowther, Irwin, Thomas, Philbin, Wood, J Smith, Tanginoa, Webster.

Castleford Tigers: from Valemei, Cini, McIntosh, Ravalawa, Asi, Weaver, Atoni, Hood, Lawler, Lane, Stimson, Greacen, Ashworth, Westerman, Doolan, Qareqare, Windley, Hall, Beckett, Golding, Hirst.

Referee: Liam Rush (Mirfield). Kick-off: Saturday, 3pm.