GOLD Coast's midfield woes have continued with David Swallow set to miss up to half the season.
Swallow had an arthroscope on his left knee last week and results have come back showing bone bruising.
The 2014 best and fairest winner could miss up to eight weeks in rehabilitation and another eight with training to regain fitness, which would take his return date to the season's mid-point.
It's another blow for the Suns with Jaeger O'Meara still battling to overcome a ruptured patella tendon that wiped out his 2015.
O'Meara has no return date locked in, with the club and player both cautious on his comeback.
Swallow's latest setback adds to a list of problems that have dogged the rugged 23-year-old in the past 12 months.
He played just six games last season with separate posterior cruciate ligament injuries – both to his right knee – costing him extensive time on the sidelines.
The Suns' starting midfield of O'Meara, Swallow, captain Gary Ablett and Dion Prestia played just 20 games between them last season.
Prestia (knee) and Ablett (foot) have minor niggles at the moment but are expected to play the Suns' NAB Challenge match against Adelaide on March 11.