MELBOURNE midfielder Jack Trengove will have surgery on Wednesday in order to repair the navicular injury on his left foot he re-aggravated last month.
The 23-year-old will have screws removed from his foot and a bone graft. He is expected to be in a cast for eight weeks after the operation.
The club is not prepared to put a time frame on his return until the operation is performed.
He re-aggravated the injury when he returned to running in September after playing just two games in 2014 and has spent the past fortnight consulting surgeons about the best way to treat the injury.
Trengove met with Melbourne officials on Monday morning to confirm what course of action would be taken next in his rehabilitation.
Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said Trengove and the club's medical staff eventually determined surgery was the best method to use to heel the injury.
"We looked at a number of options around stem cell treatments and options overseas. After considering all of those it was thought that surgery was the best course of action for Jack," Mahoney told AFL.com.au. "Jack has been involved in the whole process and is comfortable with the decision that has been made."
Pick number two in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft, Trengove has not played a senior game since round two, 2014.
He battled with the foot problem throughout 2013 and has not recaptured the form he showed in 2010 and 2011 when he was shaping as one of the best young players in the competition.
Melbourne was looking to trade its former captain during the trade period with Richmond prepared to part with pick No.12 in exchange for Trengove and pick 23.
The extent of the foot problem was picked up in the final medical test was held during the due diligence process Richmond conducted before the trade occurred.
AFL.com.au understands that in 95 percent of cases, screws are inserted during navicular operations with no adverse reactions occurring.
Unfortunately in Trengove's case it appears the screws caused irritation.
Trengove has played 81 games and captained Melbourne in 2012-13.
