Essendon have officially ruled midfielder Darcy Parish out of Saturday's clash with rivals Hawthorn after the All-Australian "tweaked" his hamstring at training.
The club had initially hoped that the minor ailment wouldn't hamper Parish's Round 1 playing chances, however the 26-year-old could now miss multiple matches.
The Bombers have revealed Parish could be sidelined for up to two weeks of action due to the hamstring issue, placing him in doubt for the club's Round 2 meeting with Sydney.
Essendon will have young midfielder Ben Hobbs available for this week's season opener at the MCG as the former first-round pick eyes a spot in Brad Scott's plans following a recent shoulder injury.
Hobbs has been in recovery since February and recently got through a VFL practice match unscathed alongside ruckman Sam Draper and new draftee Nate Caddy.
Veteran midfielder Dylan Shiel could also be in the selection mix after returning to full training this week for the first time since last season, having required surgery on his foot in the off-season.
Shiel has been listed as a test for Round 1 and could still require another week of load building before returning to AFL level.
Defender Jake Kelly is another who is in line to play this week following a recent hamstring injury, with the ex-Crow a needed reinforcement after backline pair Jordan Ridley (quad) and Kaine Baldwin (foot) suffered setbacks in the pre-season.
Ridley remains up to three weeks away from a return, while Baldwin (13 weeks) and forward Tex Wanganeen (five weeks) also require some time in rehabilitation.
Essendon will host Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday for a 1:45pm (AEDT) start to their respective seasons.
