The key tall, who returned to the SCG on Saturday after battling an ongoing knee injury, suffered a heavy knock to the back late in the second term, forcing him off the field.
Club physiotherapist Matt Cameron said the injury will see the Swans’ number eight sidelined for at least another week.
“Unfortunately in his first game back, in the second quarter when he was close to the end of the game time we wanted him to complete, he copped a whack to his back and he sustained a crack to one of his ribs,” Cameron said in the HCF Injury Update.
“That means he’s out for this week and we’ll make an assessment for next week based on how he’s travelling and how he’s feeling as to when he’ll be available.”
Despite the disappointment of suffering another setback, there was some positive news for Tippett, with Cameron confirming his troublesome knee had responded very well following his first hit-out since last year’s finals series.
“His knee pulled up well,” he said.
“We’re hoping to get him running later this week and have him back training within the confines of his new injury.”
There could be better news for fellow talls Adam Goodes (knee) and Sam Reid (Achilles), who will both face fitness tests ahead of the weekend.
Cameron said both players would be assessed following the club’s final training session on Thursday.
“Adam has done a couple of weeks of training now and he’s into his third or fourth week,” he said.
“We just need to see how he pulls up from training today and then again on Thursday as to whether he’s available to play or not.
“Sam’s due to train with the team on Thursday and we’ll make an assessment based on that.”
Cameron said that Tommy Walsh would also face a fitness test this week, but added that the club would take a precautionary approach with the big Irishman.
“Tommy Walsh, he’s probably done a little bit more than (Goodes and Reid), but he’s coming off a very long-term injury from last year,” he said.
“We’ll see how he’s going by the end of the week, but we’re not going to take a chance and if he’s not quite there then we’ll give him a little bit more time in order to attack the rest of the year.”
In other injury news, rookie ruckman Sam Naismith is set to miss a month of football after sustaining a knee injury in the NEAFL match against Queanbeyan.
“Two weekends ago Sam was involved in a collision and he actually tore the medial ligament in his knee,” Cameron said.
“He’s probably out for a four-to-six week period, depending on how it mends.”
