Richmond are expecting to be without Sydney Stack for the medium-term after the young Tiger suffered a fractured cheekbone during a VFL outing.

The 22-year-old was playing in Richmond's 4-point loss to Collingwood on Sunday when he suffered the injury, with the club not expecting to see him back on the field anytime soon.

Stack has played just two games for the Tigers at senior level this year in Round's 7 and 8, but has been a consistent feature at VFL level, playing 11 matches.

Out of contract at the conclusion of the 2022 season, Stack's future has been the subject of heavy speculation throughout the season thus far, with the young Tiger struggling to find favour in Damien Hardwick's side.

While Tigers fans shouldn't expect to see Stack back in yellow and black in the short term, Dion Prestia is expected to make his return this weekend after missing Round 16.

Prestia suffered a concussion during Round 15's loss to Geelong, missing last week through concussion protocols. The club confirmed on Tuesday that the 29-year-old is "likely" to return for Saturday's match against Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium.