St Kilda ruckman Rowan Marshall is in doubt for round one and potentially beyond as he battles a stress fracture in his pelvis, headlining a mounting injury list.
Marshall, boom youngster Mattaes Phillipou (femur stress fracture) and backman Dougal Howard (dislocated shoulder) are all unlikely starters for the Saints' AFL season opener, away to Adelaide on March 16.
It is a hefty blow for Ross Lyon's Saints, who are aiming to bounce back into finals after finishing 12th last year.
St Kilda will nervously await the result of scans on 29-year-old Marshall, one of their most influential players.
"Rowan's going for a CT scan tomorrow to assess the extent of a stress fracture in his pelvis," football boss David Misson said.
"He's been on modified duties since last week to assist with the management of the injury, but we'll have a better idea of his recovery after the scan tomorrow.
"We're hopeful that Rowan will be available for round one or soon thereafter."
The Saints recently signed Harry Boyd from the SANFL to provide additional ruck cover - and he could now be called upon as early as round one.
Former top-10 draft pick Phillipou has a stress fracture in his right femur, with the injury listed as a 10- to 14-week proposition.
Phillipou, 20, had appeared poised for a breakout season but now appears unlikely to feature until at least round six, and potentially as late as round 10, in early May.
"Mattaes pulled up a bit sore on Friday, so we monitored his recovery over the weekend. His pain was still present on Monday, so we sent him off for scans that confirmed the diagnosis," Misson said.
"He'll be on crutches for the next couple of weeks, then we're looking at 10-12 weeks of rehabilitation and reloading after that.
"It's a tough pill to swallow, but Mattaes's maturity and commitment is far beyond his years, and we're sure he'll tackle this period with the professionalism we've come to expect from him."
Backman Howard was due to have scans to determine the severity of his shoulder injury, suffered in a marking contest at training on Monday.
"Recovery from an injury like this can really range from days to weeks, so we won't speculate until we have that clarity," Misson said.
Liam Henry (ACL) is closing on a return to full training, while draftee Alix Tauru (back) is ramping up training ahead of the season, along with utility Hunter Clark (groin).
Spearhead Max King is back in full training.
