ESSENDON youngster Kaine Baldwin will miss an extended period after suffering a foot stress fracture.
Scans this week showed the defender had the injury that will see him spend a block of time in a moonboot and face a period on the sidelines.
The 21-year-old will be unavailable for the start of the Bombers season with hopes he can avoid a longer layoff into the club's campaign.
Baldwin joined the Bombers as a pre-season supplemental selection period signing ahead of the 2021 season and made his AFL debut in 2022. The strong-marking and long-kicking backman played four games last year and has been part of a squad with more key defensive depth over this pre-season.
He arrived at the Bombers after undergoing two knee reconstructions in his junior years, with his injury following the knee reconstruction for tall forward Jaiden Hunter last month.
Baldwin is contracted until the end of the 2024 season after signing a one-year contract extension with the club at the end of last year.