Melbourne defender Christian Salem will undergo surgery following a knee injury sustained in Wednesday's season opener.

The news isn't as bad as first feared however, with the 26-year-old avoiding major ligament damage.

Salem was subbed out early into his side's Round 1 win, with young forward Toby Bedford coming into the match for his third AFL appearance.

Demons football boss Alan Richardson revealed the premiership defender will go under the knife, with no timeframe on his return set in place.

โ€œThankfully, Christian did not sustain a ligament injury on Wednesday night and has instead chipped cartilage in his knee,โ€ Richardson toldย Melbourne Media.

โ€œHe will undergo surgery today to clean up the damage to his cartilage and following the procedure, will commence rehab with our medical team.

โ€œAt the moment we donโ€™t have a specific timeframe for when Christian will return, but we will know more post-op.โ€

AFL Rd 4 - Melbourne v Geelong
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 11: Christian Salem of the Demons kicks during the round four AFL match between the Melbourne Demons and the Geelong Cats at Melbourne Cricket Ground on April 11, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Salem adds to the growing list of injuries from Simon Goodwin's backline, with Jake Lever (foot), Trent Rivers (knee), Michael Hibberd (calf) and Harrison Petty (calf) all missing Melbourne's Round 1 clash with the Bulldogs.

Lever, who was a late out from Wednesday's match, is expected to make his return to Goodwin's side for their clash with the Suns next Saturday, while Rivers and Hibberd also firm as a chance to make their returns.