Geelong is breathing a sigh of relief, with mature-age recruit Sam Menegola avoiding surgery after injuring his knee in the Cats' opening NAB Challenge match against Collingwood.

Scans confirmed today that Menegola suffered an injury to his posterior cruciate ligament last weekend, but he will not require surgery. The Cats expect him to return early in the season.

"This is a minor setback for Sam. He has shown resilience through his career and has shown the ability to bounce back from injury," Geelong football manager Steve Hocking said.

"Sam was playing well when he suffered this injury and we expect him to be back to that form when he returns."

The 24-year-old was selected with pick No.66 in last year's National Draft. He is yet to play a senior AFL game, despite being a rookie at Hawthorn in 2011 and from Fremantle in 2012 to 2014.

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