Western Bulldogs premiership forward Tom Boyd could be sidelined for up to 12 more weeks with a back injury.
Boyd has struggled with the injury over summer, and could miss up to a third of the AFL season while he makes his way back to full fitness.
"He's making some really positive gains in his running and his strength," Bulldogs medical services manager Chris Bell said.
"We know that this injury can be volatile so we're not rushing him, and we're not setting any concrete timelines around his return to play.
"But at this stage, we're hoping he comes back into full training in the next eight to 12 weeks."
Star defender Jason Johannisen, who injured his ankle at training earlier this month, is set to return in the early rounds of this season.
Midfielder Lukas Webb (neck) is on a similar timeline to Johannisen.
Lin Jong will miss another six to eight weeks with a hamstring injury.
