Geelong defender Lachie Henderson faces a real challenge to be fit for the Cats season opener against Melbourne on March 25, as it emerges he is yet to resume training after knee surgery.
The 28-year-old underwent a second arthroscopy, after experiencing pain from the original operation and SEN news breaker Sam McClure has revealed that two months on he is still yet to run.
“Lachie Henderson has not run since December 13, when he had another arthroscopy on left knee,” McClure said on SEN’s Time On.
“He has not been training for two months…and unless something miraculous happens he’s not going to be playing round one.”
With premiership veterans Andrew Mackie and Tom Lonergan retiring after the Cats preliminary final loss to Adelaide, Henderson is likely to become pivotal in holding together the key posts in the Geelong defence.
Any lingering absence will put strain on the likes of Kade Kolodjashnij and Tom Stewart, along with Harry Taylor, who is likely to move back into defence, after playing 2017 in attack.
Henderson averaged 6.6 marks a game from his 22 matches in 2017, while his 22 disposal, 13 mark performance played a key role in the club’s backs to the wall semi-final victory against Sydney.