North Melbourne young gun Tarryn Thomas has suffered severe internal bruising and will miss up to eight weeks.
The 21-year-old copped an accidental kick to the chest during the Kangaroos' 15-point victory over a depleted West Coast outfit on Sunday.
Scans cleared Thomas of any fracture to his ribs but specialists have recommended he sit out for between four and eight weeks.
Thomas spent time in hospital to recover from the incident.
"The ongoing advice and assessment from specialists will be the guiding factor as Tarryn recovers," North Melbourne's football performance manager Dan McPherson said.
"Tarryn's health is our priority, with that in mind we will take a conservative approach with his recovery and continue to monitor him closely."
Thomas has played 49 games for the Kangaroos since his AFL debut in 2019 and recently signed a two-year contract extension to keep him at Arden St until the end of the 2024 season.
North face the gigantic task of playing premiership fancies the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Saturday night.
