Essendon will be without its co-captain Steph Cain for this weekend’s elimination final against Geelong, with the midfielder suffering a hamstring injury last week.

The midfielder could miss the remainder of the season, with the recovery timeline expected to be five-to-six weeks.

Cain had resumed training following a concussion but strained her hamstring during a drill on Tuesday.

Head of Medical Services Megan Smith said it was disappointing for Cain.

“Steph had successfully returned from the concussion she suffered in round nine against West Coast and was back into full training,” Smith said.

“Unfortunately, she strained her hamstring in an innocuous incident at training and will now miss the next five-to-six weeks.”

Forward Daria Bannister has successfully undergone surgery for her ACL and is progressing well in her recovery.

“Daria is in good spirits following her ACL surgery. We are in the process of managing the swelling and range of movement,” Smith said.

“This week, Daria will start to transition off crutches and progress into strength-based exercises.”

Midfielder Alana Barba is also progressing well in her rehabilitation from a syndesmosis injury, with the 22-year-old increasing her running loads.

Essendon finals week one injury list