Hawthorn has suffered a blow ahead its match with North Melbourne on Saturday, with Changkuoth Jiath ruled out through injury. 

After playing out the Round 18 win over West Coast, Jiath felt soreness in his knee.

Subsequent scans revealed the running defender sustained some minor bone bruising and will miss at least one game.

Head of Football Rob McCartney said the decision to rule Jiath out was a cautious one.

“It’s really unfortunate that Changkuoth has suffered small hiccup after some strong performances in recent weeks,” McCartney said.

“Our medical team has indicated his knee is structurally sound, opting to take conservative approach given his age profile.

“We are hopeful of having CJ on the park for our Round 20 match against St Kilda.”