Oscar Allen of the West Coast will be sidelined for a few weeks following scans that indicated a bone stress problem in his right knee.
WEST Coast co-captain Oscar Allen is anticipated to forego surgery for a right knee injury as the Eagles look into the star forward’s bone stress problem and determine when he will be ready to play again.
After the team’s round-one loss to Port Adelaide, Allen complained of swelling in his right knee. Late on Tuesday, scans indicated the stress-related setback.
Though sources close to the 25-year-old were certain that rest rather than surgery would be the course of treatment, the Eagles were unable to guarantee a timetable for his return by late on Wednesday.
R2 West Coast has struggled with serious injury problems for the previous two seasons, and Allen’s stress-related injury has caused some to worry that the team may face more challenging circumstances both on the pitch and in the medical centre.
Don Pyke, the Eagles’ chief executive, told News Corp on Wednesday that Allen’s injury was “not related to what has gone on in the past” and urged fans to be calm.
After kicking 53 goals and recovering from a stress fracture in his foot in 2023, Allen is most likely the most important player on the team. He was also promoted to co-captaincy ahead of the current campaign and demonstrated his leadership abilities over the summer.
After the Eagles’ match simulation against Fremantle, he had precautionary knee scans and rested for the AAMI Community Series match against Adelaide. On Sunday, he used strapping to protect his right knee against the Power.
Due to Allen’s injury, young forwards Ryan Maric, who on Wednesday announced a contract extension through the end of 2026, and Jack Williams, who is 20 years old and can also play as a support ruck, now have more opportunities.
At the conclusion of the previous season, the Eagles updated their injury prevention procedures and hired Mathew Inness, a former Western Bulldog, as their new high performance manager.
The club has a procedure in place for assessing the level of hardness at Mineral Resources Park, testing the two fields once a week to make sure they remain within a safe range.
The Eagles have nine players on their injured list, including rookie Archer Reid and ruckman Matt Flynn, who will miss at least five and seven weeks of action, respectively, due to injuries to their knees.
Elijah Hewett, a young midfielder/forward, saw a doctor in Melbourne to begin his rehabilitation programme, but his recovery from sesamoiditis in his foot is not progressing as rapidly as planned.
Within the next month, premiership players Dom Sheed (foot) and Liam Ryan (hamstring), midfielder Jai Culley (knee), and defender Harry Edwards (finger) are expected to make a comeback. Within the next week, Rhett Bazzo (groyne) will resume running.
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