GEELONG will be without Nakia Cockatoo for up to eight weeks after the second-year midfielder had surgery on his injured right knee.

And improving defender Jake Kolodjashnij is expected to miss at least the next two weeks after surgery to repair a break in his left hand sustained at training on Thursday.

Cockatoo injured the lateral ligament during the win over the Eagles but played out the match.

It was initially believed to be a calf injury after the game, but further investigation revealed Cockatoo's knee problem.

Coach Chris Scott said on Wednesday the Cats were still unsure of the exact injury, but the club would tend towards caution when managing the explosive youngster.

"We're usually very conservative with young players," Scott said at his mid-week press conference.

"The situation with Nakia is that it was a very difficult assessment to make and the diagnosis is still not clear at the moment, so we're not sure of his status at the moment but optimistic it's not a serious issue."



