NEWCASTLE playmaker Jarrod Mullen’s season is almost certainly over with the Knights star expected to opt for surgery on his troublesome toe next week that will sideline him for four months.

Mullen will miss tonight’s clash against South Sydney at ANZ Stadium after pulling up sore following training on Friday and is likely to see a specialist early next week to determine his immediate playing future.

He suffered the injury to the medial sesamoid bone in the ball of his right foot near his big toe in May with surgery the only way to repair the damage.

But rather than go under the knife immediately, Mullen ended up having 10 weeks off to allow the injury to settle down in a bid to get back on the field this season.

He made his return against Canberra earlier this month but has been a day to day proposition since then and the signs weren’t good when he limped off the training paddock at the end of the club’s Captain’s run on Friday.

In a forced reshuffle, Knights coach Rick Stone will move skipper Kurt Gidley from fullback to five-eighth with winger Jake Mamo the new fullback.

Chanel Mata’utia comes into the side to play his first NRL game this season on the wing.