Adelaide full-back Ben Rutten will miss the AFL pre-season competition due to a foot injury, but the club believes he’ll be ready for the season proper.

Rutten will have foot surgery this week to relieve plantar fasciitis and is expected to be sidelined for six weeks.

Crows football operations general manager Phil Harper is confident the 28-year-old will be fit in time to play Gold Coast in round one.

“Ben’s had some issues with his foot over the pre-season,” Harper said.

“Recently, it had improved and he was able to resume full training, but unfortunately it flared up again last week and the club medical staff in conjunction with Ben have decided that surgery is now the best option.

“It’s not ideal, but given the short period of time in which Chris Knights and Jason Porplyzia were both able to recover from the same surgery we are confident Ben will be right to play in round one of the premiership season.”

With key defenders Nathan Bock and Phil Davis leaving Adelaide to join the AFL’s two expansion sides, the Crows can ill-afford to lose Rutten, the 2005 All-Australian full-back.