ADELAIDE forward Charlie Cameron will be sidelined for up to a month after knee surgery, but the Crows are confident he will be fit for the start of the season proper.

The decision was made to send Cameron in for the minor operation to avoid any lingering effects from knee soreness that had been hampering him in recent weeks.

Crows high performance manager Brett Burton said Cameron's strong pre-season would ensure he was available to face North Melbourne in round one.

"It's only a minor injury, but we thought it was best to address the issue now," Burton told the club's website.

"Charlie will be on a modified program for a few weeks before returning to full training. He hasn't missed a beat over the pre-season prior to this and he'll be ready for round one." 

Cameron, 21, put together a superb second season at the Crows in 2015, with his improved maturity coming to the fore.

The livewire small forward formed a dynamic combination with All Australian Eddie Betts and booted 29 goals in 22 games for the Crows.