SMALL forward Gryan Miers has been ruled out of Geelong's massive clash with Richmond with a hairline fracture of his fibula, but the Cats are set to welcome back Shaun Higgins.

Miers' run of 53 consecutive games since his debut in round one, 2019 has been brought to an end by the injury that saw him substituted out of Saturday's loss to Sydney.

"Gryan has a small hairline fracture of his fibula," Cats football boss Simon Lloyd said.

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"It's currently looking stable and able to take some load. He's in a CAM boot and will complete an active rehab pathway.

"Gryan will spend a short period on the sidelines."

Miers, 22, booted seven goals and averaged 15.9 disposals across the opening seven weeks.

He could be replaced by off-season recruit Higgins, who has been sidelined for a month after injuring both his hamstring and thumb in Geelong's round-three win over Hawthorn.

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"He was close to playing last week so he's more than likely to return this week," Lloyd said.

The Cats said they would monitor Jake Kolodjashnij (knee) throughout the week.

Geelong and Richmond are both 4-3 ahead of their first clash since the 2020 Grand Final.