Newcastle skipper Kurt Gidley will be sidelined for at least six weeks after doctors confirmed a ligament tear in the NRL player’s foot.

Gidley was on Monday ruled out of next week’s opening State of Origin game because of the injury, less than 24 hours after NSW coach Laurie Daley named him on the bench.

But the seriousness of the injury means he will now almost certainly miss game two in Brisbane on June 26.

“The ligament Kurt has injured affects the structural stability of his foot,” Knights’ physiotherapist Phil Coles said on Tuesday.

“He will need to be non-weight bearing for a number of weeks and that means we expect him to be out for at least six weeks.”

NSW late on Wednesday called in South Sydney’s John Sutton and Canterbury’s Josh Reynolds as possible replacements for the injured utility.