FREMANTLE ruck Sean Darcy has suffered another injury setback, set to undergo minor surgery to clear an infection in his ankle.
Darcy will have a screw removed from his right ankle, which was operated on in July 2023.
The 26-year-old returned from Doha last week after continuing rehabilitation from the minor knee surgery he underwent at the end of 2024 and the Dockers are hopeful Darcy will be available early in 2025.
"Sean saw a specialist yesterday regarding the infection and it was agreed that the right call is to remove the screw to ensure there aren't any long-term ongoing issues with infection," Freo executive general manager of football Joe Brierty.
"The removal of this screw will mean that Darcy will have a couple of weeks de-loading to recover from the procedure before re-commencing training.
"Sean has been training diligently throughout pre-season and pleasingly he can continue to implement his knee program during this period as he prepares to return to full training."
Darcy has had a cruel run with injury, playing just 12 games last year after featuring 15 times in 2023.
He played 21 games in both 2021 and 2022.
"The way he attacked that time over in Doha with the specialists was great to see, and he's brought back some really important exercises that will assist his function and movement," Brierty said.
"He's really excited about what this will do for his knee strength into the future,” Brierty said.
"All going well, it is anticipated that there will only be a small adjustment to his return to play timelines with the aim to return to football in the early rounds of the season."
