St Kilda defender Dougal Howard will reportedly require scans on a dislocated shoulder sustained at training on Monday.
Howard is understood to have suffered the setback during a drill, with scans on Tuesday to help discover the full extent of the setback, perย 9 News'ย Tom Morris.
A dislocated shoulder could take longer than three months to recover if the diagnosis falls on the severe end, which would place Howard out of the opening rounds of the coming season at the very least.
Dougal Howard dislocated his shoulder at @stkildafc training today. He will have scans tomorrow to determine the severity. @FootyonNine @9NewsMelb @1116sen
— Tom Morris (@tommorris32) January 27, 2025
The potential setback would also add to a frustrating 12 months for Howard, who played just 15 games in 2024 due to a pair of hamstring injuries.
Injuries have kept the 28-year-old to fewer than 20 games in four of his five seasons at Moorabbin since crossing from Port Adelaide at the end of 2019.
Howard's latest concern adds to a small contingent of Saints occupying the club's casualty ward, with midfielder Paddy Dow dealing with a knee issue while Liam Henry is working his way back from a knee injury of his own.
Anthony Caminitiย (shoulder),ย Marcus Windhager (hamstring), Rowan Marshall (wrist), Liam Stocker (groin) and Max King (knee) had delayed starts to their pre-season programs but have built up their workloads over summer.
The Saints will face Carlton and Port Adelaide as part of their pre-season schedule before preparing for a Round 1 clash against Adelaide in South Australia on Sunday, March 16.
