Essendon’s Aaron Francis has been granted leave by the club to manage his mental health, according to The Age.
Francis was expected to return home to South Australia on Thursday to spend time with family. He will miss Sunday's match against Hawthorn in Launceston.
The reports says the Bombers defender could return to the club at the end of next week.
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Francis, 23, stepped away from football for an extended period to deal with a mental health issue in February 2018.
The former No.6 draft pick has played 10 games in 2021, taking his career tally to 45 since debuting in 2016.
He is contracted to Essendon until the end of 2022.
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