RICHMOND defender Josh Gibcus will miss the rest of the season with knee surgery booked in after spraining his ACL in the VFL last weekend. 

The Tigers have consulted a number of surgeons this week and the decision has been made to have the 23-year-old wear a brace on his knee for the next six weeks before having surgery to stabilise the knee in eight weeks. 

It is not a full reconstruction, given he didn't rupture his ACL, but it will see him miss the remainder of the season in a continuation of his unfortunate run with injury.

The Tigers have made the decision for the talented tall to have surgery to have him back for the start of the pre-season. Richmond confirmed the total rehab plan from the injury is six months. 

The injury occurred to his left knee, which is the opposite knee Gibcus has previously had reconstructed.

Gibcus has played just four games in the past four seasons after 18 games in his exciting debut campaign, with his injury run beginning at the start of 2023 with a severe hamstring injury, before he went down with a torn ACL in round one, 2024.  

He played in round one this year against Carlton before returning to the VFL, where he suffered the most recent setback over the weekend.

It has been a horror week for Richmond on the injury front, with budding star Sam Lalor ruled out with an Achilles injury at training on Thursday and fellow 2024 top-10 draft pick Josh Smillie also having another quad injury that has pushed back his return to the field.