Paul Gallen's injury not serious says coach

PETER MEECHAM/Fairfax NZ

FIGHTING UNFIT: Paul Gallen's bout with Hika Elliot has aggravated an existing elbow injury that could now require surgery.

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Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has no issues with skipper Paul Gallen's involvement in a charity boxing event and maintained he expected the Test and Origin forward to be back when the squad resumes training in January following elbow surgery.

Gallen is set to have an elbow clean-out on Thursday.

Flanagan said the forward had been suffering from elbow soreness prior to his bout against Hika Elliot in the Fight for Life promotion - which also included fellow NRL stars Greg Bird, Willie Mason and Manu Vatuvei - and maintained the clean-out had been planned.

"He's been booked in to have it looked at and he'll have a bit of a clean-out," Flanagan said on Monday. "We'd still be expecting him to be back (at training) with everyone else on Monday the seventh (of January)."

Flanagan also said star five-eighth Todd Carney's recovery from an Achilles injury was progressing ahead of schedule, and he was expecting the playmaker to be fit for the Sharks' final trial of the pre-season.

- Sydney Morning Herald