Saints reveal King comeback plan, star Crow hurt

The Saints initially didn't put a timeline on King's return but coach Ross Lyon says the key forward will miss until round four of the premiership campaign.

"It's not unexpected he would have a soft tissue, it's a slight calf," Lyon told afl.com.au.

"He was aiming for round zero or one. We think it's round four.

"And then from there we have a decision, is it VFL or AFL because he has missed a lot of work. We can set him up to succeed."

King, the No.4 draft pick in 2018, managed only 23 games across the 2023-24 seasons before missing last year entirely.

Meanwhile, suspended Adelaide ace Izak Rankine has been ruled out of all pre-season fixtures in another early injury blow for the Crows.

Rankine damaged his right hamstring at training on Wednesday.

"Thankfully Izak's strain is only minor but we won't risk playing him in our upcoming pre-season matches," Adelaide's fitness boss Ian McKeown said on Thursday.

Rankine remains suspended for Adelaide's season opener against Collingwood on March 14, having served three games of his four-match ban for making a homophobic slur last year.

His hamstring ailment is the latest in a series of early injuries for the Crows, with influential defender Mark Keane and emerging star Dan Curtin both sidelined with long-term injuries.

Keane will miss up to four months because of a broken leg while Curtin, who dislocated a kneecap in a training mishap in late January, will be out until at least round seven.

Adelaide's prized recruit Callum Ah Chee will also miss the club's pre-season matches after straining a hamstring while playing for Western Australia in last Saturday's State of Origin loss to Victoria.

Defender Mitch Hinge (back), winger Isaac Cumming (hamstring) and second-year midfielder Sid Draper (groin) have also been ruled out of the Crows' practice match against Port Adelaide on Friday.

The Crows travel to Perth for another pre-season game against Fremantle on February 28 ahead of the premiership season.