ESSENDON midfielder David Myers' bid to make a return to the Bombers senior team has been set back after he aggravated a knee injury in the VFL on the weekend.

Myers left the field late in the Bombers' VFL game against Williamstown on Saturday, and is likely to keep him out of action for at least a week.

Club doctor Bruce Reid told the Essendon website the 26-year-old has been managing the problem in the past month.

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"David has a minor ITB friction syndrome, which is a tendinitis on the side of the knee," Reid said.

"He has developed it over the last two or three weeks and he's been able to get through training, but he got very sore during the game and he was taken off and iced."

Myers has not played since round one this season, when he suffered a serious shoulder injury in the opening five minutes of Essendon's loss to the Sydney Swans.

He returned on the weekend at state league level but his output was cut short by the knee complaint, seeing him gather only 11 disposals.

His absence throughout the year has been costly for the Bombers, particularly at centre clearances, where James Hird's team has struggled.