Football manager Dominic Cato said on Bomber Radio last night that James Hird is recovering at home and considering the circumstances the outlook is good.
""James broke a rib and there was some bruising and a little bit of bleeding at the bottom of the chest. The concern on Saturday night was whether that bleeding would continue. He had an x-ray on Sunday morning and it revealed that the bleeding had stopped, so James was discharged from hospital.""
""The tests also revealed that there was no damage to his kidney or liver, which was good news,"" Cato said.
At this stage Hird will miss the next three to four weeks, but Cato said his condition would be assessed further over the course of the week. ""In the circumstances and given that he did go to hospital, it is relatively good news that he may only miss four weeks - if we can take a positive outlook on it.""
""James is a tremendously positive person and he has a bit of experience in dealing with some pretty traumatic injuries. He had has his family around him and his spirits are up today knowing that the news is on the better side of things in terms of the injury.""
Lucas also joins Hird on the injury list. Lucas left the field early in the second quarter of Saturday’s match against Richmond. ""The situation with Scott is that he felt some tightness in the hamstring region in the second quarter.
""The physios and doctors didn’t want to risk it any further. It is not a hamstring tear, it is a slight strain, so we are hoping he might be available in two weeks,"" Cato said.
""As for Mark Bolton, it was a peculiar type of incident. In a twisting motion he felt a bit of tightness at the bottom of the hamstring. We think that he might be a chance to play this Friday night.""
Essendon will regain the services of Dustin Fletcher this week, who is available after serving a one-match suspension. Sean Wellman (hamstring), Damian Cupido (knee) and Dean Rioli (hamstring) are still one week away. Mark Mercuri is available for selection after returning from a knee injury.
Aaron Henneman will miss the next four to six weeks with a lacerated kidney and Joel Reynolds (ankle) and Courtney Johns (hip) will take no further part in the season.
