By Ronny Lerner

Collingwood have suffered another massive blow with in-form key defender Lynden Dunn ruled out for the rest of the year with a knee injury.

Scans on Monday confirmed that the former Demon had ruptured his ACL playing against Gold Coast on the weekend.

Dunn’s injury comes just a week after Collingwood lost star midfielder Adam Treloar to a rare double-hamstring injury.

Treloar isn’t expected to be available until late August at the earliest.

The Magpies are also still missing Jamie Elliott (hamstring), Daniel Wells (foot), Alex Fasolo (ankle), Tyson Goldsack (knee) and James Aish (knee) but Darcy Moore (hamstring), Ben Reid (calf), Travis Varcoe (hamstring), Levi Greenwood (concussion) and Josh Smith (hamstring) could be in the selection mix this week.

Despite their extensive injury list, Collingwood are riding high at the moment, sitting second on the ladder heading into round 16 where they face an in-form Essendon side in what promises to be a blockbuster encounter at the MCG.

It's a cruel blow for Dunn who has reinvented himself as a key part of Collingwood's backline since being traded by Melbourne at the end of 2016, as the Magpies charge towards their first finals appearance since 2013.

Making the pill even more bitter for Dunn to swallow is that, with Collingwood seemingly destined to play finals this year, he holds the dubious record of most games (196) of any current player without having played a final. He is also ranked equal sixth all time on that list.

Dunn has played 31 of 36 games since joining Collingwood.