WESTERN Bulldogs captain Robert Murphy will be advised strongly to avoid a radical LARS operation when he consults with his surgeon in the coming days.

Murphy has been given time to consider his next step after confirmation he had ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and would require reconstructive surgery.

The 33-year-old will talk to surgeon David Young, who has completed traditional reconstructions for midfielders Tom Liberatore and Clay Smith and rookie Roarke Smith as the Bulldogs' knee surgeon of choice.

Young has been an outspoken critic of LARS surgery in the past and AFL.com.au understands he has already expressed his preference for Murphy to undergo a traditional reconstruction.

Those close to the respected surgeon, who is regarded as one of the AFL's leading knee specialists, said any conversation on LARS would be short and strong.

AFL.com.au understands the Bulldogs are also strongly opposed to Murphy undergoing a LARS operation and have hopes for the All Australian captain to continue playing in 2017.

Coach Luke Beveridge stressed on Monday that the choice of surgery would be entirely up to Murphy, who could still seek a quick recovery in an effort to play again in 2016. 

Gold Coach defender Nick Malceski famously returned from a LARS operation after just 11 weeks when with the Sydney Swans in 2011.

However, there has been a fierce push back to traditional knee reconstructions in recent years with research continuing to expose LARS surgery as a method with high failure rates.

Fijian-born forward David Rodan, who underwent LARS surgery twice in his 185-game career, was forced to retire in 2013 with a year to run on his contract after damaging his ACL for the fourth time.

Leading knee surgeon Julian Feller is another critic of the method, which uses a synthetic ligament to repair the torn tissue instead of a hamstring or patella tendon graft.

A traditional reconstruction could allow Murphy to begin running in time for the start of the 2017 pre-season.