The Western Bulldogs have provided an update on the status of two defenders who were injured from Saturday's win over North Melbourne, while the news isn't as positive for a fringe midfielder.
James O'Donnell (jaw) and Luke Cleary (concussion) were unable to see out the weekend's 16-point win over the Kangaroos, with the latter involved in an ugly incident that saw him taken from the field on a medi-cab.
Both Cleary and O'Donnell have since undergone assessment of their concerns, with O'Donnell requiring surgery on a small crack in his jaw.
The key defender remains in contention to play Collingwood this week, while Cleary has entered concussion protocols while showing positive signs in his rehabilitation.
“James received some incidental contact to his jaw from an opponent's shoulder,” Bulldogs Head of Sports Medicine Chris Bell said in a club update.
“This caused a small crack in his jawbone, which required surgery where a metal plate was put in to stabilise the crack.
“The surgery was completed yesterday, and he has bounced out well and is already chomping at the bit to get back into training.
“We will reassess where he is at on Wednesday, before confirming when he will return to playing.
“Late in the fourth quarter, Luke was involved in a traumatic clash where he received an opposition knee to the side of his head.
“Luke was concussed as part of this incident. He did go to hospital after the game for precautionary scans and was monitored throughout Saturday night.
“In some good news, the scans have cleared Luke of any serious structural damage. He was back at the club today and will be managed within our concussion protocols."
Meanwhile, midfielder Riley Garcia faces an extended period on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury while playing for Footscray in a VFL practice match over the weekend.
The Dogs have listed Garcia's return timeframe as 'TBC' after he suffered cartilage damage to his leg after it was twisted in a tackle.
“In the last two minutes of our VFL practice game, Riley was involved in a tackle where he twisted his knee. This mechanism has caused some damage to the cartilage in Riley's knee," Bell said.
“Unfortunately this injury requires surgery to remove the cartilage fragment.
“The surgery is being completed this afternoon, so we will have an updated return-to-play timeline in the coming days.”
The Bulldogs currently have Marcus Bontemepelli (calf), Adam Treloar (reconditioning), Jason Johannisen (hamstring), Liam Jones (hamstring), Anthony Scott (knee), Cody Weightman (knee) and Lachie Jaques (thigh) sidelined with setbacks of their own.
