Barrow Raiders intend to ease prop Lee Jewitt back into action during next week's friendly against Workington Town, according to head coach Paul Crarey.

It will be a long-awaited return to rugby league for the 32-year-old, who is about to enter his first season with the Raiders after leaving Hull Kingston Rovers in May last year after medical advice recommended he take a break from the game.

Jewitt had suffered badly with injuries prior to his departure, with him only featuring in three games during 2019, and he has sat out Barrow's opening two pre-season friendlies.

Crarey had hoped to have used him for the first time in the 24-16 victory against North Wales Crusaders last Sunday, but a delay in a scheduled injection to his knee meant he and his staff had to continue to handle him carefully.

"Lee's been able to start running this week after getting the green light," Crarey said. "He had to stay off it until the swelling went down and that was on Friday.

"He's been on the watt-bike and the physios have given him his own little programme.

"He probably doesn't play a lot of pre-season games, a bit like Martin Aspinwall, so against Workington we'll put him on the field, let the fans get a look at him.

"We'll look after him with kids gloves because we need that extra middle and we are light in the middle if Carl Forster or Ryan Duffy get injured. If that happened, we'd be relying on young lads or playing people out of position in the front row.

"Jordan Walne has done it for us and he's done a good job, but we like him to have that free role as a 13 because he can play a bit, not just cart the ball up, so we're reluctant to play him there."