West Coast expect Jeremy McGovern to be available for the start of the 2020 AFL season despite the star defender undergoing heel surgery.

McGovern will be on modified duties when West Coast’s senior players return to pre-season training next Monday after going under the knife.

The surgery was a similar procedure to that performed on spearhead Josh Kennedy’s ankle in late 2017.

West Coast says McGovern’s operation is not expected to impact his availability for the start of the 2020 season.

“Jeremy unfortunately had a little bit of ongoing heel pain during the off-season and we decided the best thing for him was to go and have some surgery of his heel,” senior physiotherapist Paul Tucker said.

“Very similar to a process JK had done a couple of seasons ago, so we got a really good outcome from that and we’d expect Jeremy back running with the group in the new year.”

Second-year forward Jarrod Cameron is working his way back to full fitness after being hit by a groin issue towards the end of last season.

“He’s now back running in rehab and we would expect him to join the rest of the group early in the new year,” Tucker said.