WEST Coast premiership midfielder Andrew Embley will miss the next 12-16 weeks of the AFL season due to a shoulder injury.

Embley's left shoulder has twice popped out of its socket this year, convincing the 30-year-old to undergo surgery to fix the problem.

The 233-game veteran is expected to go under the knife on Wednesday, with his return pencilled in for the latter rounds of the home-and-away season.

Embley's setback is another major blow to the Eagles, who have already lost star forward Mark LeCras for the season and fellow goalsneak Mark Nicoski for three months.

The injuries have failed to put a dent in West Coast's early-season form, with the Eagles notching big wins over the Bulldogs (49 points) and Melbourne (108).

West Coast is expected to notch another big win on Sunday when they take on Greater Western Sydney in Blacktown.