YOUNG Brisbane Lions midfielder Claye Beams will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his navicular.

The 19-year-old will have surgery on Thursday to have a screw inserted into the bone, with an expected layoff of around 12 weeks waiting for him on the other side.

Beams is the second young player in two weeks to sustain the serious injury, after Melbourne midfielder Jack Grimes.

The Lions revealed the extent of his injury on Tuesday and said the emerging Queenslander sustained it over the weekend.

Beams last played for the Lions in round seven before missing round eight with an ankle injury.

On the weekend, he played in the reserves side's 10-point loss to NT Thunder at Sherwood.

The former Lions rookie made his AFL debut in round one this year against Fremantle and kicked two goals in his first-ever game. He has played five senior games since with a hip and then ankle injury disrupting his run.

Beams is the younger brother of Collingwood premiership midfielder Dayne.

In better news for the Lions, defender Ash McGrath - who missed the weekend's win over North Melbourne with a hamstring - is hopeful of facing Adelaide on Sunday at AAMI Stadium.

Young midfielder Tom Rockliff is expected to miss one to two weeks after being diagnosed with a grade one calf strain.

The news of Rockliff's injury was good news for the Lions after they feared he had hurt his Achilles against the Kangaroos.

Josh Drummond is expected to return to the field in four weeks after minor surgery last week to clear up damage in the knee he had reconstructed last year.

Drummond, 28, had played just two games before he required the operation to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.

It was not considered to be related to the reconstruction he underwent in May last year that used the LARS technique.