Essendon midfielder Ben Hobbs has been sidelined with a calf strain following training last week.

Hobbs suffered an early onset of calf tightness during main training last week and an MRI confirmed he has a low-grade strain. Hobbs is set to miss the next few weeks of pre-season training.

“Ben has completed a full pre-season up to this point and we expect him to recover quickly,” General Manager of Performance Daniel McPherson said.

“His calf has settled quickly and should only require a small de-load before he re-enters the program in the coming weeks."

Forward Matt Guelfi has commenced running as he builds back towards full training.

Both players are expected to miss the club’s first practice match against the Gold Coast Suns on Thursday, February 23.