Veteran Melbourne utility Jordan Lewis has a calf strain, forced him out of their second AFL pre-season match.
The four-time Hawthorn premiership player felt tightness early in Saturday's win over North Melbourne in Hobart.
The Demons confirmed the injury on Wednesday, calling it a minor strain, and have ruled Lewis out of the March 8 hitout against St Kilda at Casey Fields.
Melbourne expect Lewis to be ready for round one of the regular season, when they play Geelong on March 25 at the MCG.
"He's done a full pre-season, has got a lot of confidence in his legs and he's an experienced player," Melbourne football boss Josh Mahoney told the club website.
Lewis is 31 and has played 283 senior games.
He made a successful move from Hawthorn to Melbourne last season, playing 19 games and finishing equal-third in the club best and fairest voting.
