CARLTON defender Zac Williams will miss the 2023 season after rupturing his ACL, while forward Sam Philp has undergone surgery after experiencing a stress fracture in his foot.
The 28-year-old suffered the injury during training yesterday, with scans later confirming the ACL injury. He will undergo surgery this week before commencing his rehabilitation.
Williams missed a significant chunk of the 2022 season - only returning for the Blues' round 23 clash with Collingwood - after he suffered a high-grade calf strain against his former side GWS in round nine.
"These incidents are so unfortunate and we are all feeling for Zac, he could not have done any more this pre-season to get himself ready for the year," Carlton footy boss Brad Lloyd said.
"He will undergo surgery to repair his ACL and from there, we will put a rehabilitation program in place for him over the next 12 months.
"He has had more than his fair share of bad luck with injury Zac but in that time he has built up a lot of resilience, which he will no doubt tap into, as we all support him on his road to recovery from here."
Williams arrived at Carlton as a restricted free agent on a lucrative six-year contract in 2020.
Forward Sam Philp also underwent surgery at the start of this week after experiencing a stress fracture to the second metatarsal in his foot.
The 21-year-old played two games midway through 2020 but has not been seen again at senior level.
A timeline on his recovery is uncertain at this stage.
"We are all really disappointed for Sam, given how hard he has worked to get his body right over the last 18 months," Lloyd said.
"He has faced some significant challenges during that time, and while this latest one is frustrating, we’ll continue to make sure as a club we are with Sam every step of the way.
"Given the nature of his injury, we will get a more definitive picture on Sam’s recovery timeline at a later date."
Williams and Philp join an injury list that includes gun midfielder Sam Walsh, who has had back surgery and won't feature in the early rounds of the season.
Carlton opens the season against Richmond at the MCG on March 16.
