LUCKLESS Bulldogs defender Tom Williams will be sidelined for up to six weeks with a thigh injury.

The promising 21-year-old missed the entirety of his first two AFL seasons with foot injuries, and a club statement released on Wednesday confirmed the No.6 pick in the 2004 NAB AFL Draft will again be sidelined for the start of the 2008 campaign.

The Bulldogs said Williams had scans on Thursday which revealed he had damaged a tendon in his thigh at training the previous day and projected an absence of four to six weeks.

The injury further weakens the backline at Whitten Oval, with Cameron Wight in doubt for round one with a hamstring injury and tall defender Andrejs Everitt out for another four weeks after hurting his knee.

2007 best-and-fairest Brian Lake is likely to line up for the Dogs' opener against Adelaide, but had hip surgery only three weeks ago.

Williams missed 10 weeks when he originally injured the tendon inside his quadricep and has only played 13 games so far in his career.