MELBOURNE duo Steven May and Joel Smith both underwent minor procedures last week but are expected to be back running shortly.

May experienced some discomfort in his knee during the holiday period, while Smith’s injury came in the unluckiest of fashion when he stood on a sharp object at the beach.

While the pair will be held back from the main group temporarily, performance manager Darren Burgess isn’t too concerned by the news.

“They’ve both had minor setbacks through no fault of their own,” Burgess told Melbourne Media.

“Maysie had a cyst pressing on the nerve of his knee which required some treatment.

“His pre-season has been outstanding so far and this won’t affect his program going forward.

“Joel cut his foot while on holidays which was pretty unlucky.

“He treated it straight away and did all the right things, but that wound got a bit infected, so he’s just had to look after it.”

Although May and Smith will return to training via the rehab group, Burgess doesn’t see the injuries impacting their start to the 2020 season, expecting them both to be back on the track next week.

Former skipper Nathan Jones has also been on a modified training program as the club looks to manage the 31-year-old’s workload.