Gold Coast forward Ben King will miss the entire 2022 season after rupturing his ACL on Thursday.
King underwent scans following an incident at training that saw him leave the track early under the assistance of medical staff.
The club have now confirmed the worst for the 21-year-old, who will require surgery on his right knee.
“Unfortunately Ben’s ruptured his ACL in his right knee in a pretty simple marking contest that he’d been in many times before,” GC SUNS General Manager of Football Performance Wayne Campbell said.
“Ben’s going well, whenever someone goes down with an ACL it’s shattering for a start.
“He’s got a really strong family and we’ve got some really good support around him from the footy club, it’s not ideal by any stretch but we know Ben’s strength of character will see him attack the challenge in a positive manner.”
King has played 53 games for the Suns since making his debut in 2019, booting 89 goals in what has been a promising career for the former first-round selection.
The forward's injury adds to the injury toll at the Queensland club, with defender Jack Bowes having undergone shoulder surgery this week.