Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell won't let himself fear the worst for James Worpel after the midfielder went down with an ankle injury in their season-opening win over Sydney.
Worpel was tackled by Sydney ruck Brodie Grundy in the second quarter at the SCG on Friday and his ankle was awkwardly caught under him.
He limped off the field and was eventually replaced by substitute Sam Frost, before the Hawks held off a second-half challenge from the Swans to win by 20 points.
The 26-year-old cut a dejected figure as he arrived back in Melbourne on Saturday, disembarking his flight in a moon boot and using a crutch.
Sydney have their own injury concerns, with midfielder Taylor Adams picking up a hamstring complaint.
Though admitting he did not know whether Worpel had suffered a syndesmosis injury, Mitchell remained optimistic.
Hawthorn are already without Changkuoth Jiath (hip), Calsher Dear (back) and Mitch Lewis (knee).
"All I know at this stage is it's an ankle," Mitchell said.
"I said, 'Is it one of those, you know, OK in a couple of days or one of those six-weekers?' and he goes, 'I'll be right'.
"If it's syndesmosis, that always sounds bad and they are anywhere from six to a lot longer, so I hope it's not that.
"I hope he's just rolled his ankle."
Mitchell's Sydney counterpart Dean Cox found himself in a similar position, unable to shed any more light about Adams' hamstring injury.
Adams had immediately reached for his right leg after a tackle by Jack Scrimshaw in the final quarter.
The midfielder, determined to crack into the Swans' best line-up after missing out on finals last season, had kicked a goal from eight disposals before the injury.
"Unfortunately for Taylor, it's a tight hamstring," Cox said.
"We'll find out how bad that is. We'll get it scanned and assessed tomorrow, Sunday.
"It wasn't great for him to be in that position.
"He was one of the senior ones in that forward line to really try and quell and keep the ball in our front half."
Another injury will only compound Sydney's woes, given they are without star winger Errol Gulden (ankle), captain Callum Mills (foot), Logan McDonald (ankle), Hayden McLean (groin), Robbie Fox (calf) and Harry Cunningham (foot).
