IN-FORM Greater Western Sydney co-captain Phil Davis will miss Friday night's match against the Western Bulldogs with a hamstring injury.
Davis, who has been in outstanding touch in defence for the Giants this season, felt a slight twinge at training on Tuesday, and has been ruled out of what looms as the match of the round.
The 26-year-old has been an important player in the back half for GWS, and has shut down Tom Lynch (Gold Coast), Ben Brown (North Melbourne), Charlie Dixon (Port Adelaide), and Lance Franklin (Sydney) over the past month.
Coach Leon Cameron said that at this early stage he expected Davis to only be out for one match.
"It's really, really minor, but you don't want your captain being out for these sorts of games, so that’s really disappointing, but there's an opportunity for another couple of lads to step in," he said.
The club's 2016 No.2 draft pick Tim Taranto looms as the likely replacement for Davis, after he was rested for round five, while GWS Academy product Harry Himmelberg is another possibility, despite the young defender not playing in the NEAFL last week because of a rib problem.
Academy draftee Harry Perryman has been in consistent form playing as a midfielder in the reserves and could also come into calculations for a debut game against the premiers.