Gun Sun Touk Miller may have escaped picking up a dreaded ACL injury during Gold Coast's 43-point home win over North Melbourne, however, the star midfielder will still require surgery on the joint.
As reported by the club on Monday evening, the reigning best and fairest will be forced to go under the knife after scans revealed a lateral meniscus tear in the co-captain's left knee.
"We expect him to miss a fair portion of footy," Gold Coast football manager Wayne Campbell said following the win.
"We can't really put a timeframe on that until after he's seen the surgeon, but he will be unavailable in the short-to-medium term."
Since joining the expansion club with the 29th selection of the 2014 AFL Draft, the now-27-year-old has proven the model of consistency, lacing the boots on 166 occasions over nine seasons.
In a testament to how foreign the Suns' casualty ward is to the dual All-Australian, Miller has donned the club's colours on 66 of a possible 67 occasions, missing just the one match in 2021 due to suspension.
Gold Coast will be forced to make like Miller and pull up their socks in his absence, with Stuart Dew's side facing a stern run before the bye.
The Suns are scheduled to face Richmond (A), Melbourne, West Coast (A), Brisbane (A), as well as the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide in Darwin before their mid-season break.
