CARLTON Football Club can confirm that forward Mitch McGovern has sustained a small, non-displaced fracture of the back following the Club’s open training session on Thursday.

The 23 year old underwent scans yesterday and is expected to return to training following the Christmas break.

Carlton Head of Football Brad Lloyd said the club remains optimistic that the recently traded forward would return to training within a few weeks.

“Scans conducted yesterday revealed there was a small, non-displaced fracture. Often with this type of injury players can miss 1-2 games during the season, while for others it’s not uncommon to not miss any at all," Lloyd said.

“Mitch will obviously continue to be monitored during this next period, however we’re confident he’ll be back training with the rest of the team following the Christmas break."