WIDNES Vikings will be forced into four team changes at home to Hull on Thursday night.

Keanan Brand (broken leg) and Gil Dudson (ankle) were serious casualties in Saturday's 31-12 loss at Hull Kingston Rovers, while Danny Craven (concussion) and Wellington Albert (hamstring) are sidelined too.

Chris Dean, Jay Chapelhow, Macgraff Leuluai and Danny Walker all look set to feature in their place as Vikings set out on a much-needed win in order to stay out of Super League's bottom four.

Centre Brand snapped both his tibia and fibia six minutes into his Vikings debut and is due an operation tomorrow to have his leg plated.

Dudson left the Craven Park pitch with an ankle injury, one that will leave him sidelined for 12 weeks.

Head coach Denis Betts remains unable to call on Stef Marsh, out with a foot injury for four weeks, as well as Pat Ah Van (broken arm), Krisnan Inu (broken leg), Hep Cahill (ligament damage) and Lloyd White (calf).

Dean's passed a head test to make a return possible from concussion, while positive results are expected from a scan on Chapelhow's broken thumb to allow the forward a comeback and is named in Denis Betts' 19-man squad.

Youngster Owen Farnworth makes his first appearance in the 19-man squad for 2018

Vikings 19: Greg Burke, Ed Chamberlain, Jay Chapelhow, Ted Chapelhow, Chris Dean, Owen Farnworth, Tom Gilmore, Rhys Hanbury, Aaron Heremaia, Chris Houston, Ryan Ince, Jordan Johnstone, MacGraff Leuluai, Joe Mellor, Tom Olbison, Charly Runciman, Danny Walker, Matt Whitley, Sam Wilde.