Scans conducted on Saints defender Sam Gilbert this week have revealed that his foot injury is recovering slower than previously anticipated and he is likely to miss another nine to 10 weeks of the 2014 season.

Gilbert will continue to take a conservative approach to his return-to-play which involves a further period of rest before returning to training in six to eight weeks weeks.

St Kilda Head of Football, Chris Pelchen said: "Obviously, we are disappointed that Sam's foot injury hasn't repaired to the extent we had anticipated. We will reassess his recovery in coming weeks  before being able to determine a more exact date for his return."