Struggling NRL club St George Illawarra have been hit with a double injury blow with co-captain James Graham and centre Tim Lafai ruled out for up to two months.

Inspirational forward Graham left the field with an injured ankle in the defeat to Cronulla, with the Dragons confirming on Monday that scans had revealed a fractured fibula.

Similarly, Lafai also sustained an ankle injury in the match which was later diagnosed as a syndesmosis sprain.

The club said of Lafai that “further meetings and discussions with specialists on Tuesday are required to determine the course of action and prognosis.”

Syndesmosis injuries typically require a recovery period of six-to-eight weeks.

The dual losses come as a bitter blow for the Dragons, who have lost five consecutive games and slipped to 13th on the ladder after their 22-9 loss to the Sharks.

They are already without playmaker Gareth Widdop (shoulder) until August, while their NSW forward Jack de Belin’s future is still in limbo after being suspended through the NRL’s no-fault stand-down policy because he faces an aggravated sexual assault charge.