Adelaide defender Max Michalanney is set for a stint on the sidelines that will hinder his preparations for the 2025 season after dealing a dislocated thumb.
Michalanney sustained the ailment in the early stages of last Friday's internal trial at Point Pirie, with the 20-year-old not returning to the pre-season hitout.
The Crows have since confirmed that Michalanney has suffered ligament damage from the incident and will miss Adelaide's upcoming pre-season matches against Port Adelaide and Brisbane.
Crows high-performance manager Darren Burgess confirmed Michalanney would not seek surgery in his recovery and remains in consideration for Round 1 against St Kilda.
โIt was one of those unfortunate incidents but thankfully after seeing a specialist on Monday, Max will make a full recovery and does not require surgery,โ Burgess said in a club update.
โWe anticipate he will miss 2-4 weeks which means he won't play against Port Adelaide on Friday night or Brisbane the following week, but will aim to be available for Round 1 against St Kilda.
โThe nature of this injury means he will continue to train as per normal and maintain the strong fitness base he's built over summer.โ
Michalanney has been an incumbent in Matthew Nicks' side since debuting in 2023, playing 45 of a possible 46 games for the Crows to start his career.
The Crows are scheduled to face the Power at Mt Barker this week for their first practice match of the pre-season fixture before travelling to Queensland for a Community Series contest with Brisbane on Thursday, February 27.
Adelaide have a longer break between their last pre-season game and their first of the home and away season compared to most clubs, with their Round 1 clash against the Saints not coming until Sunday, March 16 at Adelaide Oval.
