Essendon draftee Aaron Francis will miss the next five weeks due to a calf injury.
Francis, who was selected with pick No.6 in the 2015 National Draft, experienced tightness in his calf during training on Tuesday, before scans revealed a minor tear.
It is a bitter pill for the the 18-year-old to swallow, who had just began to produce some promising performances in the VFL, despite an injury interrupted pre-season.
“The sad reality for Aaron is that he’ll miss five matches,” Essendon high performance manager Justin Crow said.
“We’ll make sure that we focus in with his development coach and the rehab team in making sure that he can get the most out of that time and keep improving.”
2015 DRAFT PROFILE: AARON FRANCIS