Fremantle’s Alex Pearce has suffered a setback in his recovery from a long-term injury, with the AFL defender undergoing ankle surgery..

Pearce hasn’t played since fracturing his left ankle against Collingwood in round 11 last year.

He had minor surgery in December, returned to running in March and was on track to play in round two before the season was suspended.

But after experiencing discomfort in the ankle during a training session in isolation, Pearce was sent for surgery.

The Dockers have not set a time frame on his return to training.

“Alex consulted a specialist and the advice was that he undergo surgery on a small area of the fracture at the front of his ankle,” Fremantle general manager of football Peter Bell said.

“The specialist is confident the procedure will resolve the issue and allow Alex to resume training.

“Once Alex has recovered from the surgery and commenced his rehabilitation phase we will have a better understanding of when he can resume training.

“It’s incredibly frustrating and disappointing for Alex, particularly given that he was so close to playing before the season was shut down.”

The 24-year-old has played 53 AFL games since debuting for the Dockers in 2015.