Geelong midfielder Lincoln McCarthy will be sidelined for up to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on his groin.

McCarthy has been limited in recent weeks by the injury, and has missed the Cats past four games. Recovery from the procedure is usually between four and eight weeks.

“The issue with Linc’s groin did not improve, and the medical experts believe this procedure is the best way to treat the injury,” Geelong’s general manager of football Steve Hocking said.

“There was a chance that the injury would improve through rest and rehabilitation, but we have not seen any progress and after further evaluation it was determined that surgery was required. Linc will begin his rehabilitation and we will assess when he is capable of returning. This is an unfortunate setback, but Linc has already shown the ability to rebound from disappointment in his career and we know he will come back strongly.”