Sydney star Kurt Tippett will sit out the AFL pre-season after suffering a lower-leg injury in last Friday’s intraclub game.
But the Swans remain hopeful the key forward will be ready for round one against Essendon at ANZ Stadium on April 4.
Tippett hurt his right tibia-fibula joint in the hitout.
“Kurt has had an outstanding pre-season so we don’t expect this setback to significantly impact his readiness for round one,” Swans football manager Tom Harley said in a club statement.
Tippett missed the first seven games of last season because of a knee injury.
He has only played 26 games since his controversial move from Adelaide to the Swans two years ago.
Tippett had to sit out the first 11 games of the 2013 season because of an AFL suspension relating to breaches of the salary cap while he was still at the Crows.