The 31-year-old New Zealander fractured his eye socket in last weekend's defeat against Castleford.

And scrum-half Willie Peters, who missed the game against the Tigers, is given only a 50/50 chance of recovering from a hamstring injury.

He will undergo a fitness test on Friday to see if he can play in the crucial encounter.

Widnes need to avoid defeat to guarantee survival in Super League.

If they lose and Castleford manage to beat local rivals Wakefield on the same night, the Vikings could face the drop, depending on points difference.

O'Neill said: "It's not a nice position to be in but there is a lot of belief in all of the players. I'm disappointed not to be involved."

Former Halifax front rower Andy Hobson is O'Neill's likely replacement.