Barrow has scored two tries so far this season

Leeds Carnegie's Scott Barrow hopes to be fit for the vital Premiership trip to Newcastle on Sunday, 27 December.

The centre injured the MCL ligament in his knee during the defeat by Harlequins and will miss their back-to-back European games with Bucuresti.

"It's a grade two injury, which is good news," director of rugby Andy Key told BBC Radio Leeds.

"It's between three and four weeks so the aim is the Newcastle game, if not definitely the Bath match."

Scrum-half Andy Gomarsall was also injured in the same match but is already recovering quickly.

Key explained: "Gomers just went over on his ankle on a grade one, so there are no real concerns there.

"Most of the senior rugby players around his age have got old injuries and this is just an old injury that had niggled again.

"So we are just playing the safety card and being careful with him, so he won't be involved this weekend.

"We have to make sure he is good to go for a very busy Christmas period. We play Newcastle, Bath, Harlequins and Saracens and we need Andy fit for those."

Leeds are already without number eight Alfie To'oala, flanker Hendre Fourie and fly-half Ceiron Thomas because of injury and are likely to take a much changed side to Romania.

We will need to rest some of our senior players and that gives a great opportunity to some of the guys who have been waiting in the wings Director of rugby Andy Key

"It will be a slightly different side [from the one played in the Premiership] and will be more in line with what we've been doing previously in this competition, so similar sides to the ones we played against Parma and Bourgoin," said Key.

"We will need to rest some of our senior players and that gives a great opportunity to some of the guys who have been waiting in the wings to show what they can do.

"So they get a chance to put down a mark and to say don't forget me and they are looking very good and focused in training."

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