Essendon vice-captain Mark Mercuri will miss the next five matches with a groin injury after an MRI scan today revealed the damage was worse than originally thought. Mercuri was carried from the ground last Friday night after injuring the groin late in the second quarter and he did not re-appear for the remainder of the match. It is a major blow for the Bombers, particularly given the excellent form Mercuri had been in to that stage of the match.

Essendon doctor Bruce Reid said the injury could be related back to surgery Mercuri had in 1994. ""Mark had an aductor release back in 1994 after suffering from tendonitis in the groin,"" Reid said. ""What has happened this season is that the scar tissue resulting from that operation has calcified. It had been restricting him a bit anyway and would have required surgery at the end of the year. On Friday night he tore that away from the bone.""

Mercuri will undergo surgery tomorrow morning to have the calcified tissue removed from the groin. If his rehabilitiation goes to plan, the Bombers are hopeful he will be available to return for their Round 19 match with Adelaide at Football Park.