Western Bulldogs key defender James O’Donnell is unavailable for this weekend’s AFL clash with Gold Coast after suffering concussion during a VFL practice match on Saturday.

The youngster shook off an ankle injury to return to the field over the weekend.

“In the early part of the first quarter in a contest, James O’Donnell suffered a head knock that lead to some concussion related symptoms,” Head of Sports Medicine, Chris Bell said.

“Since the game, James has recovered well, and his management will now be in line with our concussion protocol. 

“He won’t be available for AFL selection this week, but we hope to see his name on the whiteboard soon after.”

Jordan Croft has remained in the rehab group over the summer with shin soreness but is moving towards a full recovery.

“Not unusual for a first year developing player, but Jordan Croft had some overload to the bone on the inside of his shin during our pre-season,” Bell said.

“He required a few weeks off his legs but has made a good recovery and has built some continuity in his running and training loads over the last month.

“At this stage he will integrate back into a training model and we’re optimistic to see Jordan pull on the Footscray jumper in the next couple of weeks.”

Defender Ryan Gardner remains a fortnight away as he battles foot soreness.

“Ryan had some foot soreness develop right at the back end of our pre-season training block,” he said.

“Wanting to avoid any more serious injury, we have been conservative in Ryan’s management to make sure we set him up to be durable for the season ahead.

“He has been back running outside, and we are expecting him to return to availability across the next 2-3 weeks. 

Aiden O’Driscoll continues to make strides in his recovery from a head knock during a pre-season session.

“Unfortunately, Aiden O’Driscoll had quite a significant head injury after a clash of heads during one of our match simulation training sessions in pre-season,” Bell said.

“We want to make sure that we are thorough and comprehensive around the decision making related to his return to play.

“We are currently working through a process that involves external experts to help guide his management plan.

“We will update again when we have more clarity and confirmed timelines.”