ESSENDON midfielder David Myers faces up to three months on the sidelines after deciding to have surgery on his injured left shoulder.
The 25-year-old suffered the injury during the Bombers' round-one clash against the Sydney Swans when he came off second best in a clash with Kurt Tippett.
He reached the decision to undergo surgery on Tuesday evening after consulting with club doctor Bruce Reid and surgeon Greg Hoy, who will operate on Myers on Wednesday.
"David will have a bone block and screws inserted into the shoulder, and we could expect to see him back playing as soon as 12 weeks," Reid said in a statement.
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Myers said he was confident he could return to the team by the second half of the season, with the midfielder penciled in for a round 14 return at this stage.
"The upside of the procedure is I’ll be able to get back into running within three to four weeks, and hopefully playing after 12 weeks," he said.
"I want to make a positive impact on the team when I return, and the operation will give me the best chance to play my role and help the team push for finals."
Myers, who made his debut in 2008, suffered an injury-plagued start to his career but has become a valuable player for the Bombers.
The left-footer played a career-high 20 games in 2013 and backed that up with 18 last season, playing a key role when captain Jobe Watson was sidelined with a quad injury.