ADELAIDE forward Josh Rachele has avoided serious injury but will still undergo surgery in coming days after landing awkwardly in a marking contest against Melbourne on Sunday.
Scans have confirmed the 22-year-old avoided any ligament damage in his left knee however, he suffered a Posterior Capsular tear along with a bone compression injury.
No timeline has been set for his return, with the Crows hoping to get a clearer picture post-surgery.
“Worst case scenario, you’re head goes to that (ACL) instantly so I am very lucky,” Rachele told reporters on Monday.
“It’s a bit of a weird one, I actually don’t know what it is at the moment.
“So it’s a bit of a unique situation but structurally the ACL and PCL is all good.”
Crows high performance boss Darren Burgess said the club would have a better understanding of Rachele’s rehabilitation timeframe following his surgery.
“Thankfully, Josh has avoided any ligament damage in the knee, which is a relief,” Burgess said.
“He’ll have surgery to elevate the bone in his knee and likely be in a brace for a few weeks.
“Once out of the brace, we’ll progress his training loads from there.”
Rachele had been in the midst of a career-best season, kicking 25 goals from a 12 games.
The third-placed Crows banked their 11th win of the season with the victory over the Demons but enter a season-shaping stretch against Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, Port Adelaide and Hawthorn.
