St Kilda spearhead Max King is likely to miss the club's Round 1 clash against Adelaide after undergoing knee surgery on his right knee.
King has had a wretched run of injuries in the past 24 months, limiting him to 23 outings, before the most recent knee scare earlier this month.
The 24-year-old went under the knife on Thursday to help repair a match simulation injury he sustained while dealing with persistent pain.
It was decided, after numerous consultations, that King would undergo surgery to fix the issue on the eve of the 2025 campaign, but has now placed him in doubt for the season opener on Sunday, March 16 at Adelaide Oval.
"We explored a number of non-surgical options to eliminate Max's pain, with varying but ultimately not long-lasting success," Saints football manager David Misson said.
"The procedure went well, so now we'll give Max some time to recuperate and establish a more definite return-to-play timeline from there.
"That being said, we don't believe this will cause major delays to Max's 2025 campaign and he'll remain touch-and-go for Round 1."
The most recent surgery the 24-year-old endured was on the same knee he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his draft year.
In King's absence, St Kilda coach will likely turn to pre-season supplemental selection Harry Boyd to help fill the void in the front half, along with Anthony Caminiti, who has previously been deployed down back.
Saints fans will rue delisting key forward Tim Membrey given King's ongoing injury woes, especially following his four-goal performance in Collingwood's pre-season clash against Richmond.
The Moorabbin club are hopeful star duo Rowan Marshall (pelvis) and Jack Sinclair (hamstring) put their hands up for Round 1.
St Kilda will get one final tune-up on Saturday at RSEA Park against Port Adelaide before facing the Crows two weeks later.
