Collingwood forward Jamie Elliot's playing future remains up in the air as the club attempts to battle a vascular issue that has sidelined him since Round 8.
Elliot - who has had a wretched run of injuries since joining the Pies ahead of the 2012 season - has been a consistent contributor on the field, especially over the past two years.
However, with the club labelling the initial injury on the minor end, Channel 9's Tom Morris believes it is a lot more serious than first thought.
“The latest on Jamie Elliott at the moment, Collingwood are playing their cards very close to their chest,” Morris said on Channel 9's Footy Furnace.
“There are people around Jamie Elliott who are doubtful whether he'll be able to play football in the short-term, the mid-term or even at all again.
“We hope this is not the case. He's contracted until the end of next year. But there are doubts around this vascular issue that appears to be affecting him.
“He's certainly one to watch. We hope that Jamie Elliott can get back.
“Now the narrative has changed. A few weeks ago we were expecting him back in maybe two, three or four weeks. Now there's really no idea when he's going to be able to get back at all and whether he'll be able to get back this season.
“Which is a concern for Collingwood because they definitely need their best players out there and he's certainly one of them.”
The 31-year-old has scored 14 goals in eight games, ranking as the third highest scorer for the Magpies this season.
Elliott is contracted until the end of 2025.