WINLESS Hawthorn has received a boost ahead of Sunday's trip to the Gold Coast with news that vice-captains Isaac Smith and Liam Shiels are expected to play.

The pair suffered corked legs during the second half of the loss to Adelaide on Saturday, which played a part in the Hawks being eventually over-run in the final quarter after a bright start.

"Anyone who was at the game would have seen they were really struggling to run late in the game but they're recovering really well and we expect them to be 100 per cent on the weekend," Hawks high performance manager Andrew Russell told hawthornfc.com.au.

Defender Grant Birchall will miss a month with a fractured jaw, while the Hawks also confirmed that second year midfielder Kieran Lovell underwent shoulder surgery this week and will be sidelined until late in the season.

"It's pretty hard for players to carry an unstable shoulder through the season so we had to go in and repair that. Hopefully we see him later in the season," Russell said.

Lovell continues the dreadful run of players to have worn the No.36 at Hawthorn. In the last 10 years, Tim Boyle, Max Bailey and Alex Woodward have all suffered long-term injuries while wearing that number.

Midfielder Jonathan O'Rourke is back doing skills work and should return in the VFL next week.