St Kilda defender Dougal Howard is set for surgery after fracturing his wrist, AFL Media’s Riley Beveridge is reporting.
According to Beveridge, Howard hurt his wrist in the opening quarter of Sunday’s win over North Melbourne.
Scans have since revealed a fractured left scaphoid and the key defender is now set for surgery on Thursday.
While the Saints haven’t ruled Howard out for the remainder of the season, they’re yet to put a timeline on the 27-year-old’s return with just five games remaining in the home and away season.
Although they’ll miss Howard for at least the short-term, the Saints are set to welcome back Jack Hayes and Zaine Cordy at some level this weekend.
Hayes hasn’t played since Round 6, 2022 where he suffered an ACL injury while Cordy is set to return from concussion protocols.
St Kilda could also welcome back Max King (shoulder) and Tim Membrey (knee) to their AFL lineup in the next fortnight.
The sixth-placed Saints face a plucky Hawthorn side at Marvel Stadium on Sunday as they look to hold onto their place in the top eight.