West Coast Eagles captain Luke Shuey faces an extended period on the AFL sidelines after undergoing surgery on his damaged left hamstring tendon.
Shuey has suffered a spate of hamstring injuries over the past year, with his latest setback occurring in last week's 37-point win over Port Adelaide.
The Eagles initially expected Shuey to miss three to four weeks, but after consulting surgeons it was deemed an operation would be the best course of action.
Shuey underwent surgery on Friday morning.
An exact timeline is yet to be set on Shuey's return, but the club don't expect him back before their mid-season bye.
"Whilst disappointing for Luke and the club, the surgery is an important first step in Luke's recovery and there is still plenty of football to be played this year," West Coast's football manager Craig Vozzo said.
"We cannot put a time line on his return at this stage, but we expect it will be after the mid-season bye."
Shuey was also blighted by hamstring issues last year.
In the round 15 win over Essendon, Shuey strained both hamstrings at separate points of the match.
Shuey is one of West Coast's best and most important midfielders, and his absence will leave a massive hole.
The Eagles are hopeful of regaining star onballer Elliot Yeo in the coming weeks.
Yeo hasn't played since round 11 last year, but he has made significant progress in his recovery from osteitis pubis over the past month.
West Coast will be back in action on Saturday when they take on St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
