St Kilda have released an injury update with Round 1 nearing, confirming that forward Tim Membrey will miss Round 1 due to a knee injury.
There was plenty of speculation around Membrey's appearance in the Saints' season opener after the 28-year-old underwent a minor knee procedure in February.
In a club statement, the Saints confirmed their key forward wouldn't feature against Fremantle, another hit to the club's injury hit forward stocks.
"Tim Membrey will miss Round 1, with the Saints today ruling out the 28-year-old with a knee injury," the statement read.
The Saints also confirmed bad news for the luckless Nick Coffield, who injured his calf at training last week.
Coffield didn't feature at all in the 2022 season after suffering an ACL injury in the pre-season, the Saints now expect the 23-year-old to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks after suffering a calf strain.
Elsewhere at Moorabbin, Jack Hayes' return from a foot injury is now expected to be closer to the mid-season bye after his recovery was slower than anticipated, while Seb Ross is also expected to miss Round 1 with his own calf issue.
In more positive news, the club hasn't ruled out Marcus Windhager (hand) and Max Heath (ankle) from Round 1 selection, granted the two get through training this week.
The fresh injury news adds to an already dire situation at the St Kilda with less than a week until their season begins, with Jack Billings (leg), Max King (shoulder) and Daniel McKenzie (calf) among numerous Saints expected to spend at least the opening month of the season on the sidelines.
St Kilda's season gets underway on Sunday, March 19 against Fremantle at Marvel Stadium.
