Hull Kingston Rovers centre Sean Gleeson could lose his eye after being the victim of an attack outside a nightclub in Wigan.
Gleeson was involved in an altercation with three men in the early hours of Sunday morning and was punched in the face a number of times before the trio left him in the road and ran away.
The 26-year-old is still in hospital following the attack, and police have released CCTV images of the three men alongside an appeal for information about the incident.
"We are now in a position to release images of three people we are very keen to speak to. If you recognise these men I would urge you to get in contact," Detective Chief Inspector Howard Millington said in a statement.
"A young man has been left with serious, potentially life changing, injuries as he could lose his eye. Imagine if this was your son, brother, cousin, or close friend who was ill in hospital, you would want answers. In addition, if anyone was there that night and saw the assault or if you know something that might be relevant to our investigation I would urge them to get in contact with police.
"You might not have seen the actual attack but you may have seen a group of white men running away. I would urge anyone who thinks they may know who is responsible to come forward and speak to us. We all have a responsibility to ensure that a night out is a good experience and does not escalate into drunken violence that compromises people's safety. We want people to enjoy the vibrant nightlife in Greater Manchester, but to do it responsibly, and avoid trouble by walking away."
Gleeson joined Hull KR last year but is yet to play for his new team due to a number of injury problems.
