North Melbourne draftee Blake Thredgold is facing an extended period on the sidelines after undergoing surgery on Tuesday to repair a Lisfranc injury. 

The club has not yet set a return date, as the priority remains his initial recovery post-surgery.

General manager of football Todd Viney said the exact timeframe will be confirmed in due course.

"It will be an ongoing discussion, as it's important we see how Blake recovers from the surgery before we map out the next steps," Viney said.

"Blake's been a great addition to our program this pre-season and we'll support him every step of the way through his recovery."