Essendon young gun Nik Cox's luckless run with injury has impacted his plans for 2023, with the Bombers' 2020 top-10 draft pick suffering an ankle injury at training on Monday.

Brad Scott's squad hit the track for their second week of pre-season training, with this week's first shift an interrupted one for Cox after rolling his ankle in a tackle.

The club has confirmed toย Zero Hangerย that the 20-year-old will undergo further assessment in the coming days, with Cox and the Bombers hopeful the ailment isn't a significant one.

Cox played just the five matches last year, all of which came before Round 8 due to ankle and foot setbacks.

The Montmorency product was subbed out of his side's Round 7 encounter with the Western Bulldogs due to an ankle complaint, while a Lisfranc injury would curtail his 2022 campaign.

Images of Cox's hampered training session were caught by prominent Essendon fan account '@CharlieDons' on Twitter on Monday.

Next year will be Cox's third season in the red sash, with the versatile youngster having pieced together 27 appearances at AFL level after featuring in the senior side on 22 occasions in his debut year.

Facing a potential stint on the sidelines, Cox could join the likes of Jye Caldwell (shoulder), Tex Wanganeen (ankle/foot) and James Stewart (foot) in nursing an injury early into Essendon's pre-season.

The club will be looking to gain the best preparation ahead of their maiden campaign with Scott at the helm, relying on a new game plan and a youthful list to steer them back toward finals contention.

Essendon are set to acquire a new wave of young talent through this week's draft, with the Bombers likely to pick up father-son pair Alwyn and Jayden Davey and NGA talent Anthony Munkara, while they also carry Picks 4, 22, 54, 61 and 66 into the count.