Fresh injury blow for luckless Pie
Collingwood premiership player Tom Mitchell has been dealt a fresh injury setback just as he looked to be building towards a return to the Magpies’ first-choice midfield.
The Brownlow medallist faces a delayed start to training after the Christmas break following scans which revealed a bone stress injury in his foot.
Mitchell, 31, pulled up sore following his impressive return to full training at Olympic Park last week.
He only managed six games in 2024 after playing every match on the way to a superb performance in the Pies’ 2023 grand final triumph.
A battle with persistent plantar fasciitis and two hospitalisations in May and August due to appendicitis brought an early end to Mitchell’s campaign, but he was back at the club last month to train alongside the Pies’ first to fourth-year players.
Collingwood high performance boss Jarrod Wade said Mitchell would be in a moon boot for at least a fortnight before the club “reassessed” his recovery plan.
“After building up his loads over the off-season, Tom returned to full training last week, and unfortunately, he felt some soreness in his foot,” Wade said.
“A MRI has confirmed that Tom has a mild second metatarsal bone stress injury and he will spend the next two weeks in a boot before we reassess what the next steps are.
“Tom has shown great resilience over the past 12 months and has always been incredibly diligent and committed to his rehab, so we are confident he will come through this next challenge and return to being a fantastic contributor to our side.”