PLYMOUTH Albion face being without experienced hooker James Owen and Tongan international back Sione Tu'ipulotu again for this Saturday's home game against high-flying Nottingham.

Player-coach Owen has missed the club's last two matches with nerve damage in his elbow, while Tu'ipulotu missed last week's defeat at Coventry with knee ligament damage.

Both players have been unable to train so far this week.

Fellow hookers Joe Clark and Rupert Freestone have also missed training this week, although Albion expect Clark, who has started the last six matches, to be all right to face Nottingham on Saturday.

"We do expect Joe to be fit," said Albion chairman of rugby Graham Dawe, who has had to pull on his boots again this week to help out in training.

"But with James Owen it is just a waiting game.

"It is a case of waiting for the nerve to repair itself.

"He is having intense treatment. We were told when he did it that he was likely to be out for between one and four weeks."

Prop Danny Porte has covered hooker for the last two weeks, but it is believed Dawe has been looking at the possibility of bringing in a specialist number two on loan while Owen is out.

Meanwhile, Albion will give Tu'ipulotu, who can cover centre, scrum-half and full-back, until Friday to try and prove his fitness.

The Tongan is spending this week on a plumbing training course while unable to train, but he will have a fitness test when he returns.

"He will be having a fitness test on Friday," said Dawe.

The Albion boss has confirmed that Spanish international centre Jaime Nava faces two months out after having an operation on a broken thumb.

"Jaime is out for the foreseeable future," said Dawe. "And we are potentially looking at two months."

However, the better news for Albion is that last season's joint top try scorer Matt Hopper has returned to training this week.

Hopper has yet to play this season after suffering an ankle injury in April.

Dawe, though, admitted this Saturday's match against second-placed Nottingham, who have won their last seven matches, will come too soon for Hopper.

"He has trained with the team this week, but Saturday's game will be too early for him.

"He is closer than he was and we hope he will get full clearance to return by the end of next week."