Essendon midfielder Zach Merrett has suffered a setback to his pre-season campaign, after injuring his ankle at the Bombers’ training session on Friday morning.

General Manager of Football Dan Richardson said the 23-year-old underwent scans that confirmed the sprain to his left ankle.

“Unfortunately, Zach suffered the injury during a competitive training drill earlier this morning which was scanned immediately, and subsequently he will be required to wear a moon boot for approximately two weeks,” Richardson said. 

“We expect a clearer picture on his return to training once swelling in the affected ankle subsides over the next week.

“At this point, we don’t anticipate the injury will impact Zach’s availability for the commencement of the season.”