Just when it seemed Richmond's horror run couldn't get any worse, ruckman Ivan Soldo has been ruled out of Thursday night's AFL clash with Adelaide with a virus.
Soldo joins skipper Trent Cotchin and star veteran Shane Edwards, who were both forced out of the side to face the Crows at Adelaide Oval with hamstring injuries.
The injury-hit Tigers have turned to Mabior Chol to help shoulder the ruck burden, the 22-year-old is in for his first AFL game since his debut in round 23, 2016.
Richmond are seventh on the ladder with a 7-5 record but are limping into their bye with a lengthy injury list.
Dustin Martin will captain the side in the absence of Cotchin and Edwards, with leadership group members Jack Riewoldt (PCL) and Alex Rance (ACL) already sidelined.
The Tigers, who will be looking to avoid a third loss on the trot, will also be without players of the calibre of Toby Nankervis (adductor), David Astbury (ankle) and Kane Lambert (Achilles).
Damien Hardwick brought in premiership duo Nathan Broad and Brandon Ellis and winger Connor Menadue for the clash and dropped Jacob Townsend, while the Adelaide named an unchanged side.
Cotchin missed a seven-game stretch with a hamstring injury this season but football chief Neil Balme moved to allay fears he had suffered a recurrence of the issue.
"He is just a bit sore in the hamstring, but it's not the same (injury)," Balme told reporters at Melbourne Airport on Wednesday.
"I reckon if he hadn't have had the problem before he would have played.
"The fact we're playing on the Thursday makes it more difficult.
"If we had played on Saturday or Sunday (he may have played) but we won't take the risk."
