GOLD Coast Suns midfielder David Swallow is expected to miss half the AFL season after surgery revealed bone bruising in his knee.

The 23-year-old has returned to the Gold Coast after results from last week’s arthroscopic surgery in Melbourne showed his comeback from a knee injury would not be happening anytime soon.

Originally on track to join the main playing group at Suns training last week with an eye on playing in Round 1, Swallow is resigned to the fact he may not be playing until midseason.

Gold Coast coach Rodney Eade said it could be five weeks before Swallow runs again and conceded his return was in the lap of the gods.

“He has got a bit of bone bruising so we will back off his running for the next four to five weeks and then see how it goes,” Eade said.

“Then he has got to do a preseason so six weeks minimum after that,” Eade said.

“I couldn’t see him playing until close to mid-year but it might be anywhere from Round 8 onwards and it could be (Round) 10, 12, we don’t know. It is in the lap of the gods.”

Eade said Swallow remained in good spirits with the surgery also revealing no damage to his meniscus, limiting the need for any further time on the sidelines.

Read more in tomorrow’s Gold Coast Bulletin.