ESSENDON utility Jason Winderlich faces weeks on the sidelines after scans confirmed he had suffered a torn hamstring at training during the week.

Winderlich, 27, hasn't played since round four last year after rupturing his left anterior cruciate ligament.

He was a chance to resume from a knee reconstruction against Port Adelaide at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, but he limped from the track during a training session on Wednesday.

During a pre-match interview teammate Scott Gumbleton said Winderlich had told him the injury "was probably going to be a four to six weeker", but Bombers football manager Paul Hamilton said that timeframe was unlikely.

"I don't think it will be that long," Hamilton said.

"We're not going to rush him back in two [weeks], that certainly wouldn't happen, but it's a bit hard to make a call on timelines just yet according to the doctor.

"Let's just wait and see after a week and see how it comes along … we won't be rushing him.

"There are a lot worse [tears]. It wasn't massive, but [scans] confirmed that there was a tear."

Gumbleton is on the comeback trail from pre-Christmas back surgery and the oft-injured forward is hopeful of returning to the field in four weeks.

"It's going well at the moment, I'm just slowly ticking off all the boxes, and hopefully in a month or so I'll be back playing," Gumbleton said of his rehabilitation.

"It's been a couple of hard months to get through. The last few weeks it's [slowed down] a bit to get the body back up and going again.

"The next month will be another tough month and hopefully then I'll [be ready]."