Young Essendon defender Zach Reid will likely be sidelined for the rest of the season, after scans revealed he had sustained a stress fracture in his lower back.

General manager of football Josh Mahoney said the club would take a conservative approach with the 19-year-old’s recovery.

“While disappointing for Zach and the club, these types of injuries are reasonably common for tall, young players of Zach’s build early in their careers,” Mahoney said.

“We’re being conservative in our approach to Zach’s rehabilitation and will likely rule him out for the remainder of the season. This is the best decision to ensure his longevity in what we know will be a long career with Essendon.

“As part of his individual program, we will support and build up Zach over the off-season and prepare him to complete a full pre-season leading into his second year."

ESSENDON'S INJURY LIST: