MELBOURNE midfielder Aaron vandenBerg has been ruled out of the club’s opening match of the 2019 season as he looks to overcome some lingering ankle issues.

The club’s Elite Performance Manager David Misson said vandenBerg wasn’t at 100 percent after his JLT2 hit-out, as he felt some pain in the foot that previously sidelined him for 18 months.

“Vanders foot pulled up pretty sore from the Brisbane game in that ankle that he’s had some issues with previously,” Misson told Melbourne Media.

“We’ve done a bit of investigation from a scan point of view and we’re going to consult his surgeon in Sydney, not with the view to have a surgical intervention, but just as a bit of a fresh set of eyes to have a look at Vanders’ ankle.”

Misson is unsure of vandenBerg’s return date at this stage but is confident the injury isn’t as severe as it has been in the past.

“It’s likely to need a couple of weeks of unloading,” Misson said

“We don’t think it’s too serious at this stage, but if you unload it for a couple of weeks you then need a couple of weeks to re-load it, but we’ll find out a bit more later in the week.”

The 27-year-old should make a return for the red and blue sooner rather than later, but Misson said the injury is something he will have to continue to monitor.

“He’s had some significant surgical intervention there in that ankle and it’s something he’s going to have to manage for the rest of his career I’d say,” he said.

vandenBerg has been plagued by injury during the early stages of his career, playing just 35 games since being drafted to the club as a rookie in 2015.