Essendon youngster Aaron Francis, will spend time on the sideline after injuring his calf.

Taken with Pick 6 in the 2015 Draft, Francis had shown promise for Essendon VFL despite a limited pre-season.

However, he will now spend up to five weeks on the sidelines.

High performance manager, Justin Crow revealed that Francis was sent for scans after experiencing tightness in his calf following training on Wednesday.

The scans revealed a slight tear in the calf muscle.

“The sad reality for Aaron is that he’ll miss five matches,” Crow said.

“We’ll make sure that we focus in with his development coach and the rehab team in making sure that he can get the most out of that time and keep improving.”

The news will be disappointing for Francis who had only just begun to find his rhythm after experiencing an injury interrupted pre-season.

Francis’ aerial exploits across the backline had been a feature for Essendon VFL in the three practice matches he played over the pre-season.

A hard worker and natural competitor, Francis is bound to work hard on the sideline and ensure that he is fighting fit and pushing for selection later in the year.