ADELAIDE defender Andrew McPherson faces a delayed start to pre-season after undergoing knee surgery.

McPherson was delisted by the Crows earlier this month, but the club has committed to reselecting him in the NAB AFL Rookie Draft next week.

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The 23-year-old felt discomfort in his left knee and underwent an arthroscopy, having been recovering from a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury that ended his season in July.

"Andrew's rehabilitation had been progressing but he was still reporting some knee pain and this procedure will give him the best chance to be available for the start of the season," Crows high performance manager Darren Burgess said.

"It's expected he will return to running in 5-7 weeks and still be able to complete a significant amount of the pre-season going into 2023."

McPherson was taken with pick No.40 in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft and has played 28 games for the Crows.