Young West Coast forward Ryan Maric's stay in Adelaide has been extended, with the second-year Eagle to remain in South Australia after being hospitalised from a marking contest.
A Jack Darling knee to the back of Maric has left the latter with fractured ribs and a punctured lung, with the club deciding to keep Maric under treatment interstate while teammates return to Perth.
The Eagles aren't expecting Maric to fly out of Adelaide for a few more days, with coach Adam Simpson confirming after Saturday's loss to Sydney that the 2023 Mid-Season Draft addition is feeling OK hours on from the incident.
The injury is likely to sideline Maric for the next fortnight at the very least when West Coast face Richmond and Fremantle - with both games to come at Optus Stadium.
Utilityย Luke Edwards is also facing a period out of action after being subbed out of the 26-point defeat at Mt Barker with 'hamstring awareness'.
While on the minor end, the ailment is likely to mean Edwards misses next Sunday's meeting with the Tigers.
Veteran defender Jeremy McGovern was also in the wars, losing a tooth after a collision with young Swan Braeden Campbell.
McGovern was able to hand the loose tooth to a club trainer after pulling it from his mouth.
Jeremy McGovern just lost a tooth on the field and handed it to the tooth fairy (trainer). ๐ฏ๐
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โ๏ธ BLOG https://t.co/WjwXTRfWfJ
๐ข MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/9daYCRtYA1 pic.twitter.com/zeheoAb3ng— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) April 6, 2024
The Eagles' ongoing injury woes could be aided by the potential returns of veteran pair Dom Sheed and Liam Ryan, who are nearing senior action and will gain minutes through the WAFL before being named in Simpson's side.
Small forward Tyler Brockman is also expected to be in the mix after being sidelined with concussion.
The Gather Round defeat sees the Eagles stretch to a 0-4 start to the season, with two weeks back home set to aid their pursuit of a breakthrough.
