Essendon pair Jye Caldwell and Zach Reid will both undergo surgery, with the latter to miss the remainder of the 2025 season.
Reid suffered a hamstring strain at training last Wednesday and reported the issue to the club, who sought the consultation of a surgeon for next steps, where surgery was confirmed as the next step.
The upcoming procedure will add to a frustrating few years for Reid in the red and black, with the 23-year-old nearing a return from a hamstring injury prior to his latest setback.
Reid had played 10 games this year, more than his career tally prior to the current season, in what was shaping as a breakout year for the key defender.
"It's a tough blow for ‘Reidy' to be ruled out for the year. However, we believe the surgical option offers him the best chance for a full recovery,” Essendon football boss Dan McPherson said.
Caldwell, who has suffered a syndesmosis injury to his ankle, has an unclear return timeline after being injured in Saturday's loss to Gold Coast.
The Bombers are expected to have a beter grasp on Caldwell's likely spell out of action following ankle surgery.
“It's a frustrating setback for ‘Calders' and the club – he'd been playing some terrific footy for us this season,” McPherson said.
“We'll have a better idea of his recovery timeframe once he's had surgery this week. He's a total professional, so he'll attack his rehab in the coming weeks and we're looking forward to seeing him back out on the park towards the back end of the season.”
The pair of injuries adds to a horrid run for Essendon, who confirmed this week that Nik Cox won't play for the rest of the year due to concussion.
The Bombers are already without Sam Draper (Achilles), Nick Bryan (ACL), Lewis Hayes (ACL) and Tom Edwards (ACL) for the rest of the season, while Darcy Parish (calf), Mason Redman (hamstring), Ben McKay (foot) and Harrison Jones (ankle) are currently sidelined.
