CARLTON midfielder Grace Egan will miss the next 4-6 weeks after suffering a punctured lung and two broken ribs against Collingwood.

Egan caught a stray knee to the side during a marking contest, and the tough 21-year-old subsequently left the ground in some discomfort.

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"Grace suffered two broken ribs and a punctured lung as a result of a collision in a marking contest during the second quarter against Collingwood on Sunday," Carlton's head of women's football Brett Munro said.

"Grace immediately came from the field and was taken into the rooms for assessment by our doctors. She was then transferred to Epworth Hospital for scans, where her injuries were revealed.

"Grace stayed for observation overnight and is now recovering at home and in good spirits."

It's a significant blow to Carlton's young midfield, which is in its first season without senior players Katie Loynes (delisted, now GWS), Jess Hosking (Richmond) and Chloe Dalton (GWS).

Mimi Hill remains sidelined, rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in February 2021, leaving a significant workload for Maddy Prespakis (21), Lucy McEvoy (20) and Abbie McKay (21).

Maddy Guerin (22) was an emergency for the round one loss, and looms as the most likely replacement for Egan.

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