Carlton injuries: Zac Williams suffers a cruciate ligament rupture, Sam Philp undergoes surgery

Carlton was dealt a major blow as star defender Zac Williams suffered a serious knee injury.

7NEWS reporter Mitch Cleary revealed the 28-year-old suffered a suspected cruciate ligament rupture, with the Blues later confirming the news.

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He will be sidelined for the entire season.

It’s a hammer blow for the Blues, who are expected to battle for the top four this season.

“These incidents are so unfortunate and we all feel for Zac that he could not have done more this preseason to prepare for the year,” said Brad Lloyd, Carlton’s head of football.

“He will have surgery to repair his ACL and from there we will be building a rehabilitation program for him over the next 12 months.

“He’s had more than enough bad luck with Zac’s injury but in that time he’s built a lot of resilience which he’ll no doubt use as we all support him on his road to recovery from here.”

After starting his career at GWS, Williams joined the Blues in late 2020 on a massive contract.

He has been plagued by injuries throughout his time at Carlton, officiating just nine games last year.

He also missed almost all of the 2018 season with the Giants after tearing his Achilles tendon.

In another blow for Carlton, youngster Sam Philp is out indefinitely after foot surgery.

“We’re all really disappointed in Sam given how hard he’s worked to fix his body over the past 18 months,” Lloyd said.

“He has faced some significant challenges during this time and while this last one is frustrating, we will continue to ensure that as a club we stand by Sam every step of the way.

“Given the nature of his injury, we will have a more accurate picture of Sam’s recovery timeline at a later date.”