Saints are hopeful that the pair, who played big parts in the club's unbeaten charge back to the Premiership last season, will be back in training by the end of the month.

Starling has had an operation on his knee, while Easter needed surgery on a hip problem.

But Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder has reassured fans that Starling's knee problem is not related to the horrendous catalogue of knee injuries that forced him out of the game for two and a half years.

Starling needed two major operations to repair ligaments in his knee, but made his comeback last season, scoring 10 tries at centre and on the wing in 19 games.

Mallinder added: "Starling has had a knee operation, it is just a bit of cartilage that needed clearing out."

Easter, who emerged as one of the club's players of the season in National League One at blindside flanker, suffered a hip injury during pre-season and has had to have an operation to solve the problem.

"Mark had a little bit of bone that needed tidying up," said Mallinder. "Neither of them are serious.

"They should be back with us in the next month or so."