South Sydney captain John Sutton injured his shoulder at training and requires a minor cleanout but should still be fit for the season opener against the Broncos, the club announced.
Club high performance manager Troy Thomson said Sutton injured his shoulder in a drill at training last week.
"We got some opinions – as we normally do – with some surgeons and the doctors. We decided it was a good time to go in and get things fixed up," Thomson said in an update to the club's website.
"There was a little bit of concern about some debris and bits of cartilage floating around in there, so we made the decision given that we’ve got a bit of time before the season starts to go and that cleaned out."
It was a better outcome than the initial prognosis, with the club initially fearing Sutton would require a full reconstruction, according to Thomson.
However the recovery time has been downgraded to about six weeks, meaning while Sutton will take no part in the Auckland Nines or Charity Shield, he remains a chance of playing the NRL 2015 season opener against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday March 5.