IN a further blow to the Brisbane Lions after two straight losses, teenage ruckman Matthew Leuenberger is expected to go under the knife this week for knee surgery, sidelining him for three months.

The 203-centimetre, 20-year-old, who has gained rave reviews for his speedy transition to ruck play in senior football, injured his right knee in the Lions' 37-point loss to Essendon on Saturday night.

Leuenberger's loss will put an extra strain on a thin ruck division at the Lions behind No. 1 big man Jamie Charman after the club lost Beau McDonald (retired) and let go Cameron Wood (Collingwood) before this season.

The Lions face the prospect of playing West Coast without their two best players on Saturday night, with co-captains Jonathan Brown and Simon Black to face fitness tests.

Brown sustained a corked hip and Black a damaged shoulder in the Lions' loss to Essendon on the weekend, but coach Leigh Matthews was giving little away about the nature of the pair's injuries.

"I don't think we have to go into specifics. When you've got sore spots we don't go into specifics," he said.

The Lions will return to the Gabba for the first time in more than three weeks, after losses away against both Melbourne and the Bombers either side of the split round.

"We've hit a couple of hurdles the past couple of weeks. We were quite good last time we played (at home). We're still alive, they haven't shot us yet," Matthews said.

On Michael Voss' coaching ambitions, his former coach has given a qualified endorsement of Voss' decision to serve as an Eagles' assistant.

"I think going to another team rather than the one you were involved in is good; I've spoken to (former player) Brad Scott (now with Collingwood) about it. You see other things; you get used to a certain way of doing things and then you see another way of doing things, so that's always helpful," Matthews said.

■For Sydney, Nick Malceski will return from a calf injury for the clash with Carlton on Sunday but Nick Davis, who was likely to make a return from the lower grade, dislocated his knee yesterday ending his season.

Swans running half-back Tadhg Kennelly had his shoulder dislocated twice in the Swans loss to the Hawks, but coach Paul Roos has played down the problem.

"The fact that is slips out so easily is probably positive because it goes back in so easy," Roos said.

AAP