ST KILDA will be without key defender Dougal Howard and young gun Hunter Clark in the coming weeks after the pair suffered injuries in Friday night's win over Carlton at Marvel Stadium. 

Brett Ratten's side found a way to absorb the injury carnage in the second half to breathe life into its season, but it has come at a cost. 

Howard underwent scans on Saturday morning after being substituted out of the game in the early stages of the third quarter with a knee injury. 

The 26-year-old will undergo an arthroscope on his knee on Tuesday to repair a meniscal tear. 

A return date for the former Port Adelaide backman is unclear at this stage, but most players require at least a month to recover from this type of surgery.  

Tom Highmore made the most of his opportunity after being activated for the second half, collecting 12 disposals in his first game of 2022 after playing 13 in 2021 and being forced to bide his time at Sandringham in recent months. 

Darragh Joyce was included in the 26-man squad after being the unused medi-sub against Sydney at the SCG last weekend. 

Clark has undergone surgery to repair the broken nose he suffered on Friday night and is set to miss at least a couple of weeks, with a clearer timeline to be released next week.

The 23-year-old didn't finish the game after colliding with teammate Dan Butler while attempting to lay a tackle in the dying minutes of the game. 

Clark spent the night in hospital before being released on Saturday after undergoing surgery in the morning. 

The 2017 No.8 pick has endured a frustrating 2022 to date, managing only three senior appearances due to pre-season shoulder surgery to repair his AC joint. 

Clark also missed six games last year after his jaw was broken by David Mackay in a front-on bump against Adelaide at Cazaly's Stadium in Cairns. 

Butler has been cleared of any injuries from the incident, requiring stitches to his forehead after producing one of his best performances of the season. 

Rowan Marshall missed most of the final quarter due to a concussion test after hitting his head on the ground, but returned to action in the closing stages of the 15-point win. 

St Kilda hosts Fremantle next Saturday night at Marvel Stadium.