Carlton have confirmed they will be without Sam Weitering for the next six weeks of the AFL campaign as he needs surgery to fix a shoulder issue.
The Blues have made a solid start to the season and are priced at 15/8 to make the top four after picking up eight wins from 11 games to take them to fifth on the ladder.
Injury setback
However they are having some bad luck on the injury front with Weitering looking at a spell on the sidelines with his shoulder problem.
The key defender damaged the AC joint during the narrow four-point loss against Collingwood at the weekend and Carlton feared the worst at the time.
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The 24-year-old has since undergone scans and those fears have been confirmed. Surgery will be required and spell in the treatment room is on the cards.
"We had a good indication soon after Jacob experienced the injury that it was a significant one, which has now been confirmed," Carlton football boss Brad Lloyd said.
"The surgery will take place in the coming days so he can commence his rehab as soon as possible."
Duo to step up
In the absence of Weitering it looks like Brodie Kemp and Caleb Marchbank will get the chance to battle it out for a place in the side.
“While losing Jacob for an extended period certainly isn’t ideal, it provides another opportunity to showcase the resilience that has become a trademark of this group,” Lloyd added.
