Hawthorn defender Josh Gibson left for Los Angeles with a sore shoulder and the expectation that tingling would stop in a couple of days.
When Gibson returned to Melbourne on Wednesday, it soon became clear the knock he'd suffered in the AFL side's loss to Sydney last Friday night was something more serious.
Scans confirmed a pectoral tear, the Hawks' reigning best-and-fairest winner underwent surgery to reattach the tendon to the bone on Thursday and will be out for 10 weeks.
Gibson's absence will further test the premiers' depth as they seek to lock up an all-important top-four spot before September.
Gun midfielder Sam Mitchell (hamstring) is still seven weeks away from returning, while Brian Lake (calf) and Cyril Rioli (hamstring) are likely to spend another month on the sidelines.
Skipper Luke Hodge is likely to be back for the top-of-the-table clash with Port Adelaide on Saturday week.
But the club will still be minus five of their most important players when they tackle the Power due to Jarryd Roughead's one-week suspension.
"It's certainly going to be a challenge for us," Hawks general manager of football Chris Fagan conceded.
"We haven't faced this sort of adversity for a while and it's not the sort of situation you want to have too often.
"But we've debuted five players this year ... and in the long term it will give us greater depth in terms of both playing talent and leadership."
Ben Stratton and Ryan Schoenmakers, who both missed the start of the season due to injury, are likely to hold down the Hawks' key defensive posts in the absence of Gibson and Lake.
Midfielders Brad Sewell (hamstring) and Liam Shiels (shoulder) are in line to return against the Power.
Gibson's mid-season trip to the United States was approved by the club, which has a bye in round nine and initially believed the injury was only a corked shoulder.
Three-time premiership forward Cameron Mooney suggested the slight delay in Gibson's surgery would not matter in the greater context of the Hawks' season.
"It was only three or four days," Mooney told radio station SEN.
"In the scheme of things, is it really going to be that big a difference in the scope of 10 weeks (on the sidelines)?"
The 30-year-old played through the pain in the final quarter at ANZ Stadium last week, and wanted to avoid going under the knife.
Share
