SYDNEY Swans speedster Lewis Jetta has suffered a pre-season setback after having minor surgery to release the iliotibial band (ITB) in his right knee.
Jetta experienced soreness during training and had an ITB release earlier this week.
The electrifying wingman missed three months with a shin issue last year but Swans coach John Longmire said he was confident the injury wouldn't affect Jetta's preparations for the home and away season.
"Jetta has done almost all of the pre-season to date, but he’s had a bit of a tight ITB band, which runs down beside your knee," Longmire told SwansTV.
"He’s had a minor operation just to release that and we thought it was best to do it now because it still gives him the opportunity to be right for round one.
"There are still eight weeks before the start of the season, so we’re really confident that we’ll be able to get him back running in two weeks’ time and he should be OK for the start of the season."
Jetta was one of the Swans' most influential players during their 2012 premiership and the side missed his input when he was sidelined last season.
Longmire also had positive updates on some other Swans, with Alex Johnson (knee) and Tom Mitchell (ankle) making significant improvements in their recovery.
Johnson underwent hybrid-LARS surgery on his injured knee late last season following an unsuccessful traditional reconstruction and should make his way back into the main group in the next fortnight.
“Alex is coming along pretty well,” Longmire said.
“Obviously after the couple of operations that he had last year, which was a disappointing season for him, he’s had a pretty big pre-season to date and he’s done a lot of running.
“He’s had a couple of little setbacks here and there as you normally get coming back from a knee reconstruction, but he’s actually coming along really well now and he’s two weeks away from team training.”
Longmire said senior players Adam Goodes, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Mike Pyke and Kurt Tippett were also making good progress on the track this month and should also start to filter back into group skills sessions in late January.
“There are a number of players now who have been on individual programs to this point who are slowly coming back into the team program,” Longmire said.
“Players like Adam Goodes, Lewis Roberts-Thomson and Mike Pyke are all on a similar type program and they’re progressing back into group skills now, and Kurt Tippett is another one of those.”
Rhyce Shaw, who underwent LARS surgery late last season, and Sam Reid, who missed a large chunk of 2013 with successive quad injuries, have resumed team training.
