MICHAEL Hurley’s horror first season with injury is set to continue with news Essendon’s boom recruit has fractured a bone in his wrist.

Hurley, the No.5 pick in last year’s NAB AFL Draft, was named best player in the Bendigo Bombers’ 10-goal loss to Coburg at the weekend.

However the young Bomber didn’t emerge unscathed, with Essendon revealing Hurley had sustained a fractured scaphoid in just his third match back from a torn quadriceps muscle.

The Bombers have said Hurley, who turns 19 next week, will “undergo a surgical review this week” to determine exactly how much football he will miss from the new injury.

The scaphoid bone is notorious for the length of time for which it takes to heal, and Essendon will know the full extent of the injury following exploratory surgery this week.

Dr John Orchard, convenor of the AFL’s annual injury report, has co-authored a paper on scaphoid injuries in AFL footballers.

“Ideally, a professional footballer with a scaphoid fracture should refrain from sport until the fracture has united,” the paper says.

“Irrespective of the method of treatment, return to play before 8-10 weeks is likely to result in … re-fractures.”

The wrist injury comes as a cruel blow to the talented draftee and coach Matthew Knights, who has shown his willingness to play youngsters.

This week Essendon takes on the undefeated Geelong.