Injury-prone fullback Tom Trbojevic will miss six to eight weeks of Manly's NRL pre-season after suffering a grade two hamstring tear at training on Wednesday.
The Sea Eagles sent Trbojevic for scans and revealed the prognosis on Thursday afternoon, confirming yet another frustrating setback for the 2021 Dally M medallist.
Hamstring issues have been Trobjevic's chief concern; he underwent surgery earlier this year after aggravating a previous complaint, only to suffer a season-ending shoulder injury in May.
Since 2018, the last NRL season in which he played more than 20 games, Trbojevic has also gone down with pectoral and knee injuries.
The superstar fullback had only just returned to the training paddock when he went down with his latest injury, having been ruled out of Australia's World Cup campaign.
His injury will be unwelcome news for new coach Anthony Seibold, who is tasked with revitalising the Sea Eagles after a dour end to the 2022 season.
Trbojevic is said to be not in doubt for Manly's first competition game of 2023, at home to Canterbury on March 4.