LUCKLESS St Kilda midfielder Zak Jones is set to miss the rest of the home and away season, but Ross Lyon could regain Max King and Bradley Hill for Sunday's fixture against Carlton at Marvel Stadium.
Jones was substituted out of Sunday's win over Hawthorn in the first quarter after his left leg was caught in a tackle involving teammate Josh Battle and Hawks forward Connor Macdonald.
Scans have revealed medial ligament strain as well as lateral cartilage damage with the midfielder to consult with a surgeon this week.
The 28-year-old has endured a challenging past 18 months at RSEA Park, missing the first six months of this year due to a lingering Achilles issue and then a quad strain, after dealing with soft tissue issues in 2022.
Cooper Sharman has been cleared of serious damage after the club thought he had strained his hamstring at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.
The 22-year-old played an important role on Hawthorn skipper James Sicily, subduing the star defender while kicking two goals of his own, and will need to prove his fitness later in the week.
After missing three games after dislocating the shoulder he had reconstructed in December, King is pushing to return against the Blues this weekend.
The 23-year-old underwent an arthroscope on his shoulder after the incident against Melbourne in round 17 and will undergo a Laterjet procedure when the season is over.
King will need to prove his fitness later in the week and might be picked on Thursday night before St Kilda’s main training session on Friday.
Hill missed last week due to the lung issue he copped in the win over North Melbourne.
The three-time premiership wingman has made progress in recent days and could make a return at Docklands on Sunday.
After winning back-to-back games for the first time since round four, the Saints begin August in fifth spot on the ladder but have a tough run home with Richmond, Geelong and Brisbane still to come.