Essendon young gun Nik Cox will miss the Bomber's battle against the Demons after the midfielder suffered an ankle injury against Brisbane on Saturday, while draftee Ben Hobbs could make his debut for the club.
Speaking toย essendonfc.com.au,ย Head of high-performance Sean Murphy said the club were initially hopeful Cox would be able to play in Round 3, but the six-day turnaround and issues with swelling mean the 20-year-old will skip this week's game.
"It's still swollen (too) and sore at this time of the week (to be available for selection," Murphy said.
"His acute management has been awesome, and he's going to give himself every chance for next week."
Cox's unavailability adds to Essendon's list of injuries to key players, joining young forward Harry Jones and midfielder Zach Merrett on the sideline with ankle injuries.
Gun midfielder Dylan Shiel is in the mix to match up against the Demons' star-studded midfield, with the 29-year-old a test after being a late withdrawal against the Lions last week due to a side strain.
"Hopefully he'll get through some skills and training tomorrow, and we'll go through that process and see what his availability is for Friday night," Murphy said.
Merrett is set to undergo surgery and further rehabilitation following a syndesmosis injury on Sunday. The vice-captain is set to miss a large chunk of the Bombers' season, who face the fear of starting the season 0-3.
Midfielder
Disposals
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"We were hopeful we'd gotten away with a syndesmosis injury, but unfortunately on the scan the next day it presented with a high-grade ankle injury," Murphy outlined.
"He'll go into surgery early this week and it's all about how he comes out of that from a surgical point of view. The acute management is key and we'll build him up once he gets into the club."
Murphy also confirmed that young defender Zach Reid is set to play his first game of 2022 through the VFL on Saturday. The 202cm youngster has recovered from multiple injuries since his debut last season.
"It's a really anticipated return for Zach Reid," Murphy said.
"He had that back injury at the end of last year which has been the main injury.
"Then he had a little bit of foot soreness that we had to manage. He's built his loads back up and he'll play about half a game in the VFL, so it's really exciting for him to be back out there."
After his spectacular debut game in Round 1, Nic Martin is out of health and safety protocols and looks set to return, while uncapped midfielderย Hobbs could be a chance to make his debut for the Bombers after a strong VFL performance against the Cats.
Ben Rutten confirmed to media on Wednesday that Hobbs' prospects of featuring for Essendon on Friday night have grown, while confirming Martin's inclusion for the match
Rutten: Hobbs is absolutely a chance (to make debut). He had a strong performance on the weekend and will be in the mix.
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) March 29, 2022
The Bombers will be looking to snap their winless start to the season when they face the Demons at the MCG, with the game scheduled to commence at 7:20pm AEDT.
