Adelaide forward Riley Thilthorpe will be sidelined for at least three months after successful knee surgery.

Thilthorpe suffered a torn lateral meniscus in Saturday’s pre-season win over West Coast and underwent an arthroscope and surgical repair on his left knee today.

He will spend the next six weeks in a knee brace before a gradual return to running and training, ahead of a return to play in approximately 12-14 weeks.

Crows High Performance Manager Darren Burgess said he was confident Thilthorpe would make a full recovery to play a meaningful part in the second half of the season.

“It’s obviously very disappointing for Riley and the team, he’s had a fantastic pre-season and had put in a lot of hard work to put himself in a strong position for the year ahead,” Burgess said.

“But now his focus shifts to his rehabilitation and Riley is very diligent when it comes to his training and preparation which will hold him in good stead.

“Given his age and that he is such a valuable, long-term player for us, we are taking a conservative view with his return to play and see him being a significant contributor for the second half of our season.

“After a period of rest at home, he will continue his upper body training at the Club and will spend about six weeks in a knee brace before progressing to on-legs training and then running.”