GOLD Coast defender Rory Thompson faces a month off full training after injuring his big toe on Monday.

 

The Suns said on their club website that Thompson had suffered a 'turf toe' injury in a marking contest with fellow defender Henry Schade at training, and would be in a moon boot for a week.

 

The 200cm defender will then commence a modified program and is not expected to return to the Suns' main training group for a month.

 

Turf toe involves a sprain of the ligaments around the big toe joint.

 

Thompson has established himself as the Suns' best key defender in the past two seasons, regularly taking the opposition's most dangerous power forward.

 

He came fourth in the Suns' 2013 best and fairest award, but finished outside the top 10 in last year's count after carrying a hip injury for much of 2014.