Richmond excitement machine Taj Hotton is set to miss up to four months of football after scans discovered bone stress in his hip.
Hotton reported soreness after last week's practice game against Essendon.
"Taj will begin modified weight bearing across the next 10 days to two weeks, before starting a slow progression back into running," Richmond High Performance Manager, Ben Serpell said.
"We anticipate that it will be approximately six to eight weeks before he is back running and possibly four months before he is available for selection."
Hotton burst onto the AFL scene late following his 2024 draft selection due to an ACL injury suffered in that year.
The exciting talent debuted against the Bombers in Round 18 last year, playing the remaining nine games of the season.
It is a major blow on the eve of the 2026 season.
"Taj has done some really strong conditioning over both the off-season and the pre-season, and we were really pleased with how he was placed for this season," Serpell added.
"We know his professionalism will continue across this rehabilitation phase, and we will support him through that."
The Tigers will have one final hitout on Friday against Melbourne before their traditional Thursday night clash in Round 1 with Carlton.
