Gold Coast co-captain Touk Miller has a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee and faces an extended stint on the AFL sidelines.
Miller was hurt in Sunday's win over North Melbourne but scans allayed fears of a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear.
Instead, the Suns star will be out for the "short to medium" term, says Suns football manager Wayne Campbell.
"We expect him to miss a fair portion of footy," Campbell said.,
"We can't really put a timeframe on that until after he's seen the surgeon.
"But he will be unavailable in the short to medium term."
Miller's co-captain Jarrad Witts said the injury was another blow for his 14th-placed side, which has just two wins.
"It's tough, he gives everything to this club, it's not ideal at all," Witts said.
"He's such an important player and part of our team, he has led from the front for a long time."
Witts called on Gold Coast's midfield to cover Miller's absence as a collective.
"There's a few more guys rolling through there to carry that load, you can't replace Touk but there's guys doing well," he said.
"It has helped us that we've put a few more numbers through there. Someone will have to come in and carry that load."
