South Sydney are confident veteran John Sutton will be free to play St George Illawarra next week, despite a tear in his biceps tendon.

The stand-in skipper came off late in the second half of Friday’s NRL loss to Penrith and did not return after copping a knock to the arm.

Rabbitohs physiotherapist Eddie Farah on Monday confirmed Sutton had torn a tendon but was confident he could play on with the injury.

“At this stage we’ve just got to monitor him, do a fitness test next week and should have him available for next round,” Farah told the club’s website.

The defending premiers have a bye this week before their clash with the Dragons on July 18 at the SCG.

Farah said the break had come at the perfect time, with plenty of “bumps and bruises” among the squad – including Dave Tyrrell and Ben Lowe.

The pair were concussed against the Panthers, but both are expected to be available for selection next start.

The good news ends there, though, for the Rabbitohs, who could be without influential hooker Issac Luke after he was charged by the NRL match review committee with a grade-one dangerous throw on Penrith’s Tyrone Peachey.

He is facing up to two weeks on the sideline.