Carlton forward Charlie Curnow will have further surgery on his right patella tomorrow after scans revealed a stress fracture on the same knee which saw him miss the entire 2020 season.

The 23-year-old has played just 58 games and kicked 77 goals for the Blues in five seasons after being drafted with pick 12 in the 2015 draft, with injuring marring the spearheads past 18 months.

Carlton football boss Brad Lloyd confirmed it was the same knee that Curnow had surgery on in April.

“Charlie’s patella has been complicated by this current stress injury, however whilst he has been able to continue with his rehabilitation program, his specialist orthopaedic surgeon feels that surgery to reinforce the area of bone stress will hasten his return to training and minimise the risk of further injury,” he said.

“We’re fully supportive of this approach and will continue to support Charlie through his recovery process.”

Curnow has had a horror series of injuries to his right knee which began when he sustained season-ending medial ligament damage to it against Fremantle in round 15 of last year.

He dislocated his right patella while playing social basketball with teammates Patrick Cripps and Zac Fisher that October and fractured the patella in November.

Curnow had wires and screws put into the patella as part of the treatment and it was hoped he could return to the field this year after they were removed before the season started.

But his season was ended in April when scans revealed a hairline stress response in the patella.