Travis Colyer and Tom Bellchambers are set for extended stints on the sidelines after scans revealed the pair each have a stress fracture in their foot. 

Colyer was sore after the match against West Coast, with subsequent scans also uncovering a ‘hot navicular’. 

He’s expected to miss the rest of the season.

“By the end of the game he was sore in his fourth metatarsal,” Essendon Doctor Bruce Reid said. 

“We did an MRI and it showed a stress fracture, but more importantly he had a hot navicular – where he is not sore – and a small crack at the surface of that. 

“He’s got a stress fracture of his fourth (metatarsal), that’s eight weeks, ten weeks max.  But the navicular must heal properly.”

The 23-year-old has played every match so far this season and has kicked 11 goals.

His pace and finishing skills were instrumental in the wins over Hawthorn and St Kilda.

The Bombers will take a cautious approach as the West Australian commences his rehabilitation. 

“We will not train him through his foot until this is fully healed,” Dr Reid said. 

“He’s seeing the specialist tomorrow.  Because it’s only a small crack they may or may not put a screw in there. 

“Whichever way we go, this is treated as a serious injury because if it’s mismanaged you can crack right through.” 

Bellchambers will be unable to resume full training for eight weeks.

“He became sore in the first few minutes of training last week,” Dr Reid said.

“Scans have confirmed he has a stress fracture of the third metatarsal in his foot.” 

In better news for the Bombers, David Zaharakis and Heath Hocking will return to the field this week.

Hocking hasn’t featured this year after undergoing twin groin surgeries in the off-season. 

“He’s been working very hard now for a long time,” Dr Reid said.

“He’s been in pretty heavy training now for four weeks.”

David Myers is three weeks away from returning from a shoulder injury and Jake Long could return as early as this week after overcoming a thumb injury.