Following the Demons' Queen's Birthday loss to Collingwood on Monday, coach Mark Neeld said he would be pleased if Clark played another game this year.
However, the club moved to clarify his injury situation on Thursday and said the high-profile recruit was expected to make a full recovery.
"When he's going to be back, we're not 100 per cent sure, but we're conscious that this is really a career-defining rehab for Mitch," elite performance manager Dave Misson told melbournefc.com.au.
"We can't put a time on when he'll be back, but we're really confident that he's going to overcome this injury and be back to full capacity.
"It's an injury that just needs a bit of time, and that's something that we want to give Mitch, because it is a very important rehab for a unique and serious injury.
"The period of time that he probably needs before he starts running is something that we're going to give him as much as we can."
Misson said Clark's surgeons and specialists had been very positive about the Lisfranc joint in his right foot, which was first injured last season, requiring surgery.
Clark struggled with the injury during the pre-season but recovered to play the first four matches of the season before he was sidelined.
