North Melbourne's Sam Wright has undergone surgery on his ankle and could miss the start of the 2017 season.
Wright's ankle had been causing him some concerns during pre-season training, with the club opting to send the 26-year-old in for surgery.
General Manager of Football, Cameron Joyce, said Wright will miss at least the next two months of training.
“Sam’s pre-season will obviously be impacted which is certainly not ideal, however, we’re really confident he’ll be available to play and have an impact in the early stages of our 2017 season,” Joyce told the club's website.
“The surgery was minor and we hope to see him back to full training in about two months all going to plan.”
The injury is in the opposite ankle to the one which derailed his 2016 campaign.
Key defender Scott Thompson has also undergone minor surgery on his adductor, but will be ready for the JLT Community Series.