Swans star Isaac Heeney has suffered a broken thumb during a training mishap earlier this week.
The 23-year old will undergo surgery on Thursday, however, the club is confident he will be available to play round one.
He is expected to return to training within days.
“Isaac was struck awkwardly on the hand in a fairly routine contest during training on Monday. It was just one of those unfortunate incidents that can happen at training,” Gardiner told sydneyswans.com.au.
“Scans confirmed a fracture in his thumb so he will undergo surgery tomorrow to repair the break.
“Isaac is obviously disappointed but he should be back running in a matter of days and we’re confident he will be available for the start of the season.”
Heeney is coming off a strong 2019 season where he averaged 20.1 disposals, 5.7 marks and 3.7 tackles and booted 26 goals from his 22 matches.