Essendon defender Zach Reid will not play against Sydney after scans revealed a hamstring strain after the 22-year-old was subbed out against the Hawks at half-time.
The club will provide further information as part of the weekly injury report, but have confirmed Reid will require some time on the sidelines after initially reporting hamstring awareness.
Reid has had a horrid run with injuries since being drafted back in 2020, only managing nine games in his career so far. Hamstring injuries have kept him sidelined for most of his tenure at the Bombers, the latest strain just another blow in a long and tedious injury history.
The Reid injury was perhaps the only dampener on an otherwise successful Round 1 win against Hawthorn. The Bombers looked sharp for the majority of the game with quick ball movement being a clear improvement on last year.
Reid was seen as the ideal tall replacement for defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher who headed to the Power in the off-season.
Big signing Ben McKay will now have it all to do himself as the Dons take on the impressive-looking Swans at the SCG in Round 2.
Fringe backman Jayden Laverde could be available after getting through a VFL clash against Box Hill on Saturday, having battled with a thumb issue over the pre-season.