Scans have confirmed ruckman Tom Bellchambers sustained a calf strain in Essendon's win over GWS at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.

The 29-year-old is expected to miss approximately the next six weeks of football.

Tom Bellchambers is iced up on the bench after this ruck contest. #AFLDonsGiants pic.twitter.com/pMABBlOrcP — AFL (@AFL) June 27, 2019

Defender Patrick Ambrose is also set for a stint on the sidelines for approximately three to four weeks, after sustaining a low-grade quad strain in the Bombers’ pre-game warm-up on Thursday.

General manager of football Dan Richardson said it was disappointing to lose the pair.

“Both Tom and Patrick had scans today, which confirmed the nature of their respective injuries,” Richardson said.

“We’ll closely manage their rehabilitation programs, and we expect Patrick to return to the field in three to four weeks’ time, while Tom will be pushing to return before the conclusion of the home-and-away season.

“While disappointing, injuries presents opportunities for others to step up, so we are confident we have the depth to cover both Tom and Patrick over the coming weeks.”