ESSENDON will be without Dylan Shiel, Sam Draper and Jye Caldwell for an extended period after scans confirmed the nature of their respective injuries following the round two loss to Port Adelaide.
Shiel will undergo a knee arthroscopy in the coming days after scans confirmed meniscal damage to his left knee. He is expected to be sidelined for at least 4-6 weeks.
Draper will be out of action for 8-10 weeks with confirmation the 22-year-old suffered a syndesmosis injury when he landed awkwardly in a marking contest.
After being subbed out of the game in the third quarter, Caldwell will be likely sidelined for 6-8 weeks with a significant hamstring injury.
General manager, football Josh Mahoney said it was disappointing to lose the trio for the coming weeks.
"Dylan will be required to have a knee arthroscopy and we will know more about the timeframes for his return following this procedure over the coming days. At this stage, we don’t anticipate he will return to the field for at least the next four to six weeks but we will continue to monitor him closely this week and see how he progresses," general manager of football Josh Mahoney said.
"Sam will see a specialist in the coming days with confirmation of a syndesmosis injury, but we are hopeful he will be back and playing for the second half of the season.
"Scans confirmed that Jye sustained a more significant hamstring strain, and we will see how he progresses over the next week, but unfortunately we expect him to miss the next six to eight weeks of football.
"While these injuries are disappointing and will test our depth over the coming weeks, it provides opportunities for others to step up and contribute strongly to our side this weekend and beyond."
