Injury blow for star Pie

LUCKLESS Ben Reid has been dealt a punishing blow with a calf injury bringing his immediate playing future at Collingwood to a grinding halt.

Reid, 31, had only this week had his training program wound back by club doctors in an effort for caution given the swingman’s lengthy history with soft-tissue injuries.

But, while jogging at a training session at the Holden Centre yesterday morning, Reid felt his calf go and he will now miss at least the first few weeks of the season.

“We had been easing him back as a precaution due to the intense, short block of training the players have before Round 2,” Collingwood football boss Geoff Walsh said.

“We’ll know more about the severity of the injury in coming days but at this stage it looks like it is significant.

“Certainly, with a restart to the season on the doorstep, he is going to miss some matches.”

Reid, who suffered an ankle injury during the pre-season and did not play in Round 1, has played only 14 games over the past two seasons after a string of soft tissue complaints including his calf and hamstring. He travelled to Germany in 2015 to consult with leading doctor Hans MullerWohlfahrt in an effort to prevent his ongoing issues.

Reid is contracted until the end of this season