Essendon has been dealt a further hammer blow in the wake of the club's 66-point loss to Geelong in Round 1 with the announcement that Kyle Langford's hamstring tear could well require surgery.
The 25-year-old was subbed out of the heavy defeat during the first quarter after pulling up short following a marking contest.
Langford had previously been hampered with hamstring-related ailments, however, according to reports from Daniel Cherny of CODE Sports,ย the forward is unlikely to make much of an impact before the Bombers' bye week in Round 12.
Essendon officially confirmed the scribe's reports on Tuesday afternoon, with GM of Football Josh Mahoney confirming the worst for the club's fervent fanatics.
โUnfortunately for Kyle, the strain is on the same side as his previous injury, and therefore we will take a conservative approach with his rehabilitation,โ Mahoney toldย essendonfc.com.au.
โKyle is likely to be sidelined for approximately eight to 10 weeks, but we will consult with a surgeon in the coming week to assess all options for recovery.
โWeโre disappointed for Kyle who had completed a strong pre-season but we look forward to welcoming him back to the fold mid-season.โ
The news of this extrapolation is sure to have head coach Ben Rutten pulling his hair out given his expectations were for the Northern Knights product to be available after a month.
The added fact that the second-year steward is already missing offensive options in Jake Stringer, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Harrison Jones will also be hurting the former Crow follicly.
Given going under the knife remains a live option for Langford, the soon-to-be free agent will remain stranded on 99 AFL games for the foreseeable future.
Although Stringer's absence was felt during Geelong's four-quarter demolition at the MCG, the three-time club leading goalscorer is expected to return for the Dons' upcoming date with the Lions on Saturday evening.
Despite this positive news out of the Hangar, Cherny also claimed that fellow forward Will Snelling will not be in contention for selection given the 24-year-old is currently hampered by a calf injury.
The opening bounce of the clash between the pair of 2021 finalists is scheduled for 4:35 pm AEDT at Marvel Stadium.
