Leeds Rhinos v Hull FC: Coaches Agar and Hodgson each forced to make three team changes

James Donaldson and Alex Mellor are included in head coach Richard Agar’s initial 21-man squad, both having missed last week’s win at West Yorkshire rivals Wakefield Trinity.

Fellow forward Muizz Mustapha is included in the first-team squad for the first time after recovering from an injury he picked up whilst on loan at Bradford Bulls at the start of their Betfred Championship campaign.

Continuing in a positive vein, Agar welcomes back Jarrod O’Connor and Liam Tindall from their successful dual-registration stints with Bradford last weekend, and Corey Johnson and Jack Broadbent, who played for Rhinos Reserves at St Helens on Saturday, are also included.

The negative is that Leeds have been forced to make three changes from the side that defeated Wakefield so handsomely.

Skipper Kruise Leeming will miss the game owing to a one-match suspension as will Cameron Smith.

And Harry Newman has been sidelined by a hamstring injury, the extent of which is still to be assessed and, at this stage, no timescale has been placed on his return to action.

Hull boss Brett Hodgson is in a similar situation to his opposite number at Headingley in that he too must make three changes.

That said, he will be buoyed by the return of loose-forward Joe Cator who has been cleared to play a week earlier than anticipated after recovering from the Achilles he ruptured last August.

Stand-off Josh Reynolds is ruled out by an, as yet, undisclosed issue, doubling Hull’s selection problems at half-back in the absence of suspended former Leeds scrum-half Luke Gale.

Back-rower Jordan Lane misses out with a niggle while a calf strain continues to cause Darnell McIntosh return-to-action problems. Full-back Connor Wyne will undergo a late fitness check to confirm his availability.

Leeds Rhinos 21-man squad: Jack Walker, David Fusitu’a, Liam Sutcliffe, Ash Handley, Blake Austin, Aidan Sezer, Mikolaj Oledzki, Matt Prior, Rhyse Martin, Zane Tetevano, Brad Dwyer, Alex Mellor, Boden Thompson, Tom Briscoe, Morgan Gannon, Jack Broadbent, Jarrod O’Connor, James Donaldson, Corey Johnson, Muizz Mustapha, Liam Tindall.

Hull FC 21-man squad: Jake Connor, Adam Swift, Josh Griffin, Ligi Sao, Danny Houghton, Chris Satae, Andre Savelio, Joe Lovodua, Joe Cator, Kane Evans, Brad Fash, Ben McNamara, Jack Brown, Jordan Johnstone, Josh Bowden, Connor Wynne, Mitieli Vulikijapani, Aidan Burrell, Jamie Shaul, Charlie Severs, Harvey Barron.