Carlton star Jacob Waitering is expected to miss the next six weeks after an expert advised him to undergo surgery to repair his shoulder.
Waitering hit the AC joint in his right shoulder in a collision with Jordan de Goy at Carlton’s four-point rate near Collingwood over the weekend and was ruled out of the game in the first quarter.
The 24-year-old will go under the knife before his rehabilitation begins this weekend.
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“Right after Jacob’s injury we had a good indication that it was a significant one, which has now been confirmed, so surgery will be performed the next day so he can begin his rehabilitation as soon as possible,” said Carlton Head of Carlton. Footballer Brad Lloyd said in a statement on Monday.
“Our defense and the team as a whole have shown some outstanding determination so far this season. The players have really brought that mentality, so losing to Jacob for an extended period is certainly not ideal. It gives another chance to show resilience. It has become a trademark of this group.”
The absence of waiters created an empty hole in Carlton’s backline, which was already out due to injuries to Mitch McGovern (hamstring), Oscar MacDonald (back) and Jack Williams (calf).
Carlton is also without first-choice Rookman Mark Pitonet, who is dealing with a knee injury.
Pitonet’s bracket was removed last week and he is close to returning to an ongoing program. Carlton, 25, is expected to return in mid-July.
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