Luckless Collingwood AFL backman Ben Sinclair is facing another lengthy spell on the sidelines after tearing his hamstring.
The 25-year-old will undergo surgery after suffering the injury in Thursday night’s 11-point pre-season win over Essendon.
It is the latest in a long line of setbacks for Sinclair, who has a history of hamstring injuries and had struggled last season with concussion-related issues.
“Scans have confirmed Ben has suffered a reasonably serious tear,” Magpies football boss Geoff Walsh said on Friday.
“Surgery, probably some time next week, seems likely but the precise details of when that might be and how long his recovery might take won’t be known until he has seen the surgeon.
“It’s a tough break for Ben, who has had more than his fair share of misfortune over his time. That said, he is resilient and, of course, everything within his and our power will be put into seeing him back on the field as soon as possible.”
Sinclair, debuting for the Magpies in late 2011, has managed just 24 games in three seasons.
The combative defender battled hamstring problems throughout 2014 and 2015 and suffered four separate bouts of concussion last season.
His latest injury has put a dampener on a solid start to the pre-season for Collingwood, who had looked sharp despite the absence of stars Scott Pendlebury and Adam Treloar during their win over the Bombers.