Kyle Langford will miss Sunday's clash against North Melbourne, due to a hamstring strain.
The midfielder was subbed out of the Bombers' clash with Adelaide at the final change, and will be a big loss for Ben Rutten's team.
“Unfortunately, Kyle presented with a bit of hamstring tightness throughout the game,” Essendon's head of high performance Sean Murphy told the club's website.
“We decided to take him out at three-quarter time, and unfortunately he’s sustained a hamstring strain and will go into a short-term rehab process now.
“Hopefully we’ll get him back in a few weeks.”
The Bombers could welcome back skipper Dyson Heppell, who has recovered quickly from thumb surgery.