Richmond superstar Dustin Martin has been ruled out of the round-three clash with Sydney as he manages a calf issue.
Martin was named in the Tigers’ extended squad for Sunday’s AFL game at the MCG.
But the 32-year-old was ruled out by coach Adem Yze on Friday morning.
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“Dusty’s going to miss this week … he’s actually had an interrupted couple of weeks with his calf,” Yze said.
“He didn’t train the other day and he’ll only do a little bit today, so we’ve got to just break the pattern of him getting through week to week.
“We’re going to break that cycle this week and give him a lighter week so that he’s pain-free.
“He’s just been battling a little bit the last couple of weeks with his calf and still trying to perform as he normally does.
“His first half last week was terrific, but you could see that he just gets a little bit sore, so we’re going to help him through that.”
The coach expects Martin to be fit to return against St Kilda in Gather Round.
“We want a 100 per cent fit Dusty, so to do that we’ve got to break the cycle by giving him a lighter week this week so that he’s pain-free next week,” Yze said.