Adelaide defender Andrew McPherson has undergone knee surgery and faces a delayed start to pre-season.

McPherson had been recovering from a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury which ended his 2022 campaign in the SANFL in July.

The 23-year-old had been rehabilitating the injury throughout his off-season but this week was still experiencing some discomfort and underwent an arthroscopy on his left knee.

Crows High Performance Manager Darren Burgess said the surgery to alleviate symptoms had gone smoothly and McPherson would resume his rehabilitation in coming days.

“Andrew’s rehabilitation had been progressing but he was still reporting some knee pain and this procedure will give him the best chance to be available for the start of the season,” Burgess said.

“It’s expected he will return to running in 5-7 weeks and still be able to complete a significant amount of the pre-season going into 2023.”

McPherson was delisted earlier this month as part of the Club’s list lodgement process but with a commitment that he will be reselected in the Rookie Draft next week.