THE Carlton Football Club can confirm forward Charlie Curnow has suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee injury after scans revealed a hairline stress response in the bone.

The 22-year-old had been completing his rehabilitation program yesterday, when he felt some discomfort to his knee. As a precaution, the Club arranged for Curnow to undergo scans, which this afternoon confirmed the hairline stress response would delay Curnow’s full recovery by four to six weeks.

Head of Football Brad Lloyd said the cause of the stress response was related to one of the screw holes that had been inserted during original surgery in October.

“Ultimately his patella is showing us that there is still a weakness around one of the original screw holes. This stress response is an indication to us that his knee requires more time to heal.”

“Charlie is walking around with only a small amount of discomfort. He does not require any surgery, but given the nature of this injury, it’s likely this will result in a four to six week setback.

“It remains difficult to determine if Charlie will be ready to play this season, however, it does appear more unlikely than likely. We will continue to manage the situation to ensure the long-term interests of Charlie and his time in the game are protected, while also supporting him throughout this time as he continues his recovery.”