GREATER Western Sydney's mounting injury toll has worsened with news that star midfielder Stephen Coniglio will miss at least the next 10 weeks with another ankle injury.
Coniglio went down late in the Giants' thrilling three-point win over Collingwood when he kicked the leg of Magpies forward Darcy Moore, and had surgery on Monday to fix a syndesmosis injury.
It's a savage blow for the vice-captain, who was playing just his second game of the year after rolling the same left ankle in the final JLT Community Series game against North Melbourne.
The West Australian would have been coach Leon Cameron's go-to man to take on Richmond gun Dustin Martin in this week's clash at Spotless Stadium.
GWS head of athletic performance David Joyce said the news is particularly disappointing given Coniglio's tough start to 2017.
"The damage to Stephen's ankle is significantly worse than the previous injury so he'll undergo surgery before commencing a thorough rehabilitation program," he said.
"We have no doubt that Stephen will attack his rehabilitation with the same diligence he does all areas of his football and will return to the field in peak condition later in the season."
Defender Aidan Corr and forward Sam Reid remain a chance to face the Tigers after both were concussed in the first half of the Giants' win over Collingwood, with the pair to be tested later this week.
The Giants' depth has been severely tested this season with Ryan Griffen (ankle), Nick Haynes (hamstring), Jacob Hopper (finger), Tendai Mzungu (hamstring) and Will Setterfield (ankle) all out with long-term injuries, and no chance of returning to the field for at least five weeks or more.
Add to that the fact that defenders Matt Buntine and Adam Kennedy have both undergone knee reconstructions in the past month and won't play again this year.
Star recruit Brett Deledio has yet to feature for his new club as he struggles with an ongoing calf problem.