PORT Adelaide will be without Orazio Fantasia for the next month after the livewire forward underwent minor knee surgery on Monday morning.
Fantasia had been suffering recurring pain in his left knee and coach Ken Hinkley flagged surgery as an option after Sunday night's win over Fremantle at Adelaide Oval.
"Fantasia has had a few battles with that knee over the last couple of weeks and we might have to do something (minor surgery) there if that is what it ends up being," Hinkley admitted in his post-match media conference.
With the Power having their bye this weekend, Fantasia opted to have the knee arthroscopy immediately to minimise the games he'll miss while recovering.
Fantasia has booted 19 goals from 10 games since joining the Power from Essendon in last year's Trade Period.
Meanwhile, defender Ryan Burton is optimistic of facing Geelong in round 13 after pulling up well from a sore knee experienced during the win over the Dockers.
Burton has played every game this season in a welcome return to full fitness after two injury-interrupted seasons at Alberton, in which he managed just 24 games.
Defender Jarrod Lienert was concussed in Port's SANFL win over West Adelaide at the weekend and undergo a mandatory 12-day recovery period, while mid-forward Zak Butters is expected to start running later this week after recent knee surgery.
