In October 2019, he dislocated his right patella while playing basketball with friends and the next month he broke the same bone when he slipped on tiles.
It’s unclear how much recovery time Curnow will need from his latest setback, or if his chances of lining up in round one next year are in jeopardy.
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“Charlie’s patella has been complicated by this current stress injury,” Carlton head of football Brad Lloyd said in a statement.
“However whilst he has been able to continue with his rehabilitation program, his specialist orthopaedic surgeon feels that surgery to reinforce the area of bone stress will hasten his return to training and minimise the risk of further injury.
“We’re fully supportive of this approach and will continue to support Charlie through his recovery process.”
At his best, Curnow is capable of being one of the AFL’s most exciting players, as evidenced by his second-last game when he booted seven goals against the Western Bulldogs.
In all, the former No.12 draft pick has played 58 games and kicked 77 goals since debuting for the Blues in 2016.
