West Coast have confirmed small forward Liam Ryan will require surgery on a damaged hamstring tendon, potentially forcing the premiership Eagle to miss the opening rounds of the new season, while a further two players are also dealing with hamstring concerns.
Ryan suffered the ailment at Monday's session and has since undergone scans, which revealed a high-grade injury that will require further and ongoing treatment.
The 27-year-old was plagued by a hamstring issue last year and would appear in just three matches for the season, with his latest injury coming on the opposite leg.
West Coast football boss Gavin Bell confirmed the extent of Ryan's latest setback on Tuesday night, noting the Eagles attacker could miss his side's season opener against Port Adelaide.
โUnfortunately, Liam has suffered a high-grade hamstring injury with some tendon damage which will require surgery to repair,โ Bell said.
โWe are all really disappointed for Liam. He had been working hard this pre-season and over the Christmas break to be ready to go when we start playing practice matches.
โWe're hopeful he will be available to return in the early rounds of the season. The Club will provide an update on his return to play timeframe in due course following surgery.โ
Star midfielder and reigning best and fairest winner Tim Kelly is also set for a stint on the sidelines after recording hamstring tightness.
The Eagles revealed Kelly is facing up to three weeks on the sidelines with the issue.
โTim felt some tightness during training and subsequent scans have confirmed he has a standard hamstring strain,โ Bell added on Wednesday.
โWhile injuries are always disappointing, we are in a game-like conditioning phase currently with a focus on repeat speed training and there is always some risk of injuries as we prepare our players for matches.
โWe expect Tim will return to main training in early February and be available for our upcoming practice matches.โ
Young utility Coby Burgiel will spend a short period in rehabilitation for his own hamstring issue.
Burgiel isn't expected to miss the start of the season due to the minor damage to his hamstring.
The Eagles are dealing with injuries to Elijah Hewett (foot), Dom Sheed (foot), Archer Reid (knee) and Josh Rotham (groins) less than two months out from their first game of the season.
West Coast are scheduled to face Port Adelaide in South Australia on Sunday, March 17 to commence their 2024 campaign.
The Eagles also have upcoming pre-season matches against Fremantle and Adelaide from late February.
