JACK Sinclair could be elevated back to St Kilda's senior list as early as this week with the news Tom Curren will likely miss the rest of the season with a fractured fibula. 

Sinclair went back to the rookie list before the bye after playing 10 games, with the return of Daniel Markworth and Arryn Siposs from shoulder injuries. 

The Saints then elected to retain Adam Schneider as the mid-season nominated rookie last week. 

But Curren's injury, sustained on Sunday in the VFL, could open the door at senior level for the first-year player once again. 

"He'll have surgery today and that will be most of the year," coach Alan Richardson said about Curren on Tuesday. 

"He's optimistic and the doctors are optimistic if the VFL were to play finals, he might be in the mix then.

"It's disappointing for Tom. He's been a very popular person at our footy club, he works incredibly hard and he's been in pretty strong form of late.

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"There's an opportunity there [to elevate]. Sinclair performed strongly on the weekend. 

"[Jason] Holmes has been performing strongly and Ahmed Saad has been in reasonable form.

"It's a pleasant dilemma to have on the back of someone else's misfortune, but that's footy and that's the rookie situation."

Meanwhile, second-year midfielder Blake Acres will miss at least 2-3 weeks after undergoing surgery on a hand injury, also sustained in the VFL.