ST KILDA'S wildcard chances have been dealt a big blow with Jack Sinclair and Tom De Koning both set to be sidelined out of Sunday's loss to the Western Bulldogs.

Sinclair is understood to have been cleared of an Achilles rupture, but has a serious calf injury after a scan on Monday morning.

With eight games left in the Saints’ home and away campaign, the dual All-Australian could miss the rest of the 2026 season.

Sinclair has played at least 20 games in every year aside from the COVID impacted 2020 season since becoming a permanent fixture in 2018. 

De Koning remained in hospital on Sunday night with a punctured lung after a crunching blow before half-time, which ruled him out of the second half. 

The ruckman also has two cracked ribs and is set to miss some games out of the club’s mid-season bye. 

Rowan Marshall was also sent for scans on Monday after injuring his shoulder at Marvel Stadium, but was cleared of serious injury.

The 30-year-old returned and played out Sunday's game clearly hampered by the issue, but with the club's bye this week Marshall will have time to rest and recover to be a chance to face Essendon in round 17.

St Kilda is also set to be without Alix Tauru for another stint with the young key defender charged for a bump in the VFL. 

The hit ended the day of Footscray player Stirling Phipps-Parsons, resulting in Tauru being sent straight to the VFL tribunal charged with rough conduct with the incident graded as severe impact, high contact and careless conduct.

The VFL Tribunal is likely to ask for a sanction of four or more games, while the Saints can argue for three.

St Kilda is now on the bye and sits a game outside the wildcard spots, ahead of a clash against Essendon in round 17.