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Western Bulldogs star Tom Liberatore hasn't ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament but has sustained cartilage damage that requires surgery.

The Western Bulldogs and Tom Liberatore are breathing sighs of relief, with scans confirming the star midfielder has not ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament.

Liberatore limped to the bench in the second quarter of the Dogs' three-point win over Carlton at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night after jarring his right knee while chasing Kade Simpson.

He was unable to return, raising fears he could need a third knee reconstruction.

But while he avoided the worst-case scenario, the 27-year-old is set for a period on the sidelines as he will undergo exploratory surgery to determine the extent of cartilage damage sustained in the incident.

He is expected to go under the surgeon's knife early in the week, with the procedure to provide greater clarity on how long he will be out.

Liberatore missed the entire 2015 season recovering from a knee reconstruction and didn't feature following round one last season after suffering the same fate.