Injury news: Ridley timeframe set, tough duo pushing for round one availability

Defender Jordan Ridley is anticipated to be sidelined for the next 3-4 weeks due to a minor quad strain. The 25-year-old sustained the injury during the Bombers’ practice match against Geelong, but his recovery timeline appears to be better than initially feared.

Good to see this guy out there 🤩 pic.twitter.com/5Dm7XjEpc4

— Essendon VFL (@essendonvfl) March 1, 2024

Ridley discussed his rehabilitation during the club’s Bomberthon event on Monday morning. Meanwhile, midfielder Ben Hobbs and defender Jake Kelly are both possibilities for the first round, pending their progress through the upcoming week’s training sessions.

Hobbs is recovering from a shoulder injury sustained three weeks ago, while Kelly is managing a slight hamstring issue reported to the fitness staff a fortnight ago.

Nate Caddy is back in full training after dealing with soreness from an awkward landing a couple of weeks back. Additionally, ruckman Sam Draper had a successful return to play in a VFL practice match last week, indicating progress from his off-season groin surgery. Draper will gradually increase his playing time in the following weeks.

Midfielder Dylan Shiel is nearing full fitness in his recovery from a foot injury, and Tex Wanganeen is progressively increasing his running workload, aiming for a return to full training within the next 4-5 weeks.

Essendon injury list