Canterbury star Kieran Foran has been ruled out of making his NRL return in round three after his specialist elected to take a cautious approach with his injured shoulder.

The five-eighth was not named by the Bulldogs on Tuesday for their clash with Manly on Sunday, despite hopes that he had done enough rehabilitation since suffering the injury at the end of last year.

Foran will undergo more contact and strength work next week to prove his fitness with Lachlan Lewis and Jack Cogger selected in the halves for Canterbury’s meeting with the Sea Eagles at Central Coast Stadium.