Essendon‘s season from hell has continued with star forward Jake Stringer suffering another hamstring injury just weeks after returning to the side.
Stringer strained his right hamstring in the Bombers’ 32-point loss to the Western Bulldogs on Sunday and is likely to miss up to four weeks.
It continues a horrific run of injuries for the 28-year-old this year, having also dealt with a groin issue during the pre-season and a hamstring injury in his left leg which caused him to miss rounds four and five.
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“Scans today have confirmed the strain is to his right hamstring, which is the different side to his previous hamstring injury,” Essendon’s general manager of football, Josh Mahoney, said in a club statement.
“This is a reasonably standard 3-4 week injury, and Jake will use this time on the sidelines to ensure a full recovery to return for a strong second half of the season.”
Stringer’s injury comes at a woeful time for the 1-6 Bombers, whose forward line is already without the likes of Harrison Jones and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti.
After playing 19 games and kicking 41 goals last season, Stringer has struggled to stay on the park so far in 2022. When he has been in Essendon’s line-up, he has struggled to have the same impact he did last season, where he played large stints in the Bombers’ midfield.
Eyebrows were raised when Stringer and vice-captain Zach Merrett were both included in the team for its Anzac Day clash against Collingwood, with Stringer missing just two weeks with a left hamstring injury before his return.
Stringer’s injury, now his third of a soft tissue variety in the space of just months, raises questions over the injury management at Essendon, with a number of players suffering similar issues so far this season.
He joins Will Snelling on the sidelines, who was brought into the team in round four on the back of a calf injury before re-injuring it during his comeback match.
Defender James Stewart and versatile utility Kyle Langford have also been struck down with hamstring injuries this season.
The Stringer-less Bombers face arch-rivals Hawthorn in a must-win clash at Marvel Stadium in round eight.