Brisbane Lions co-captain Hugh McCluggage is set to be sidelined for at least another two games with a calf injury.<\/p>\n
The Lions, who are still chasing their first win of the season, had hoped the star midfielder would be fit for Brisbane\u2019s clash with St Kilda at Marvel Stadium on Saturday.<\/p>\n
However, having already missed the Lions\u2019 pre-bye loss to the Sydney Swans, McCluggage now won\u2019t play this weekend and is also set to be ruled out of Brisbane\u2019s battle with Collingwood at the Gabba next Thursday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s probably more likely he\u2019ll be OK the week after that.\u201d Lions coach Chris Fagan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s interesting. He\u2019s got a low-grade calf injury that\u2019s not improving very quickly, so we\u2019ve just go to go with the symptoms and signs and look after him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a really important player for us. We\u2019d love to have him in the team, but we also don\u2019t want to bring him back early and injure him again and then we\u2019ve got him out for longer.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Lions will also be without suspended co-captain Harris Andrews for another two games; however, Zac Bailey and Darcy Gardiner will return after serving one-match bans.<\/p>\n
Forward Logan Morris has also been selected after recovering from a hand injury.<\/p>\n
Zane Zakostelsky and James Tunstill have been dropped from the 23, while Daniel Annable is out with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for up to four months.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not all doom and gloom that we\u2019re zero (wins) and two (losses),\u201d Fagan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve just got to try and build on the second half we played against the Swans, get a couple of players back and see how we go.<\/p>\n
\u201cContinuity in your team and building connections \u2026 is really important. and we haven\u2019t been able to do that yet, so hopefully we can start to get to that over the next few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Lions\u2019 clash with the Saints could be spicy after pre-season comments from Fagan questioning the Melbourne\u2019s club spending spree that secured them Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Tom De Koning.<\/p>\n
His comments didn\u2019t sit well with Saints coach Ross Lyon, who said he couldn\u2019t recall commenting on a specific opposition player \u201cin a derogatory sense\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fagan on Thursday said he understood the Saints\u2019 response and was \u2018OK\u2019 with it but didn\u2019t apologise for raising the issue of an inflated market.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t very often choose to speak out about big-ticket issues like that,\u201d the Lions coach said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not just St Kilda, this is all clubs. Contracts seem to be getting longer and longer and longer, then along comes St Kilda and decides they want to pay those players the amount of money they did.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo we want this sort of marketplace where offers to players become ridiculous?<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted the opportunity to raise that so we could debate that as an industry, so that\u2019s what I did. It is important we do that.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are 45 players on a list and I don\u2019t want to see the situation where a large chunk of the money is going to the five or six players at the top of the pile and the rest are missing out. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a team sport, and 23 players take the field every weekend and I think it\u2019s important they all feel valued.\u201d<\/p>\n