GIANTS star Brett Deledio will be sidelined until late in the season after injuring his calf.

The 31-year-old suffered the injury last Friday while getting ready to return from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for the past four games.

“Unfortunately, Brett was completing some rehab stuff for his hamstring, as we know he injured a couple of weeks back, and felt his calf tighten up,” said Head of Athletic Performance David Joyce.

“Some scans have revealed that he has hurt his calf. It’s the other side to what he hurt and kept him out for large periods of last season, but it means we’re going to have to take an extended break for Brett and rehab him again and get him back towards the back end of the year.

“It’s slightly different in that it involves the tendon. His past history of soleus strains is something we have to consider very carefully with this. 

“He’s obviously a crucially important player for us and we want to make sure we play a really conservative card to start with and build his loads up gradually.”

Co-captain Phil Davis is expected to be available to take on the Crows at Adelaide Oval on Sunday after missing a fortnight with concussion.

“At the moment I expect him to play,” Joyce said. 

“I did a session with him yesterday morning and he was exceptional. He was running well, he’s passed all his testing.  

“He still needs to pass his last few competencies, some contact things and the like, but I expect him to sail through this and line up against his old club this weekend.”

Young midfielder Tim Taranto is also expected to be fit to head to the City of Churches despite spending the end of last week’s match against the Bombers on the bench with a quad complaint.

“I’d expect him to play. We were cautious with him on the weekend,” Joyce said.

“He has presented to injury clinic yesterday well and he’s improved again today, I expect he will train Thursday and play this weekend.”

Defender Sam Reid should also return to the GIANTS line-up after being a late withdrawal from last week’s match. 

“Sam was really close. He actually hadn’t hurt his hamstring, scans had cleared that,” he said.

“He got up to his top speed, which for Sam as we know is really quick, he just had some vague and shifting awareness, so to speak, around the back of his leg that we just didn’t feel entirely comfortable with.

“That has completely gone, all his strength is back, he’ll train this week and play on the weekend.” 

Forward Matt de Boer will spend another week on the sidelines with a hamstring injury but is expected to return in round 12 while Adam Kennedy is set to make his return from an ACL injury in the NEAFL next week. 

Injury List - May 28