Brisbane Lions superstar Lachie Neale is suddenly in a battle to play finals with the club revealing on Tuesday he will miss the remainder of the home and away season.

The dual Brownlow medallist has suffered a quad injury and will be wrapped in cotton wool for the next few weeks.

“(Neale) underwent scans after experiencing soreness following Saturday’s win against Collingwood, which showed a quad tear,” the club said in its injury update on Tuesday afternoon.

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“Neale was at the club on Tuesday for training, where he started his recovery with an expected return for the first week of finals.”

There are only three games to go before the finals, but the reigning premiers are facing a tricky run in the next few weeks.

They will be expected to take care of a lacklustre Sydney on Saturday, but they then face games against fellow top-eight fancies in Fremantle and Hawthorn.

The Lions are third on the ladder but are in a dogfight to stay in the top four and secure the double chance.

Geelong (fourth) are half a game behind Brisbane and so are the fifth-placed Dockers.

The Gold Coast Suns (sixth) are a game-and-a-half behind their cross-town rivals but have a game in hand against the injury-hit Bombers.

The Suns’ percentage, compared to Brisbane’s, is also much healthier.

After the home and away season is over, clubs in the top eight have a weekend off before the finals start.

The extra week could be vital for the 32-year-old’s recovery.

Neale will be crucial for Brisbane this spring, as the club aims to make it three grand finals in a row and secure back-to-back flags.

Last year Brisbane thumped Sydney by 10 goals in the grand final and the year before they narrowly lost to Collingwood in the grand final by just four points.

The Lions also revealed on Tuesday that veteran defender Ryan Lester and midfielder James Tunstill have both entered concussion protocols following the weekend’s AFL and VFL matches.

The injury to Lester means luckless defender Tom Doedee is finally on the verge of making his club debut for Brisbane ... 22 months after the former Crow signed with the Lions.

It will be the third-time lucky for the former Adelaide star, who’s fought back from not one, but three ACL injuries.