Jayden Laverde will spend time on the sideline after injuring his shoulder in the Round 4 loss to the Cats.

Club Doctor, Bruce Reid, believes that the injury will see him miss between 6-8 weeks.

“Jayden had a very significant AC joint injury, which is the joint above the shoulder,” said Reid following the game

“Unfortunately, it looks like it’s a grade 3 injury which means he’ll miss a number of weeks.”

Laverde will undergo further scans early in the week to determine whether surgery is the best option.

It is a disappointing blow for the youngster who had been building in his return from an ankle injury that he suffered in the second NAB Challenge game against Geelong.

Laverde had shown promise in his first senior game of 2016, moving well in the forward line and kicking a handy goal.

The Bombers, at this stage, have no other injuries to report from the game.

Laverde’s injury opens the door for Shaun McKernan’s return, after the versatile ruckman had a promising return for Essendon VFL against the North Ballarat Roosters.

McKernan kicked three goals in Essendon VFL’s big win finishing as one of the team’s best.