Geelong star Steve Johnson says he could be back in two weeks after undergoing knee surgery Geelong star Steve Johnson will miss the start of the season. GEELONG'S Steve Johnson says he expects to be back in two weeks after undergoing surgery on his troublesome left knee. The Cats star, who is suspended for Monday's blockbuster clash with Hawthorn at the MCG, had knee arthroscopy this week. The decision was made in the long-term interest of both Johnson and the club this year. Johnson's problems stem from the knee injury suffered in the 2011 preliminary final. Despite looking like he would miss the premiership decider, he got up to star in the grand final win over Collingwood. But it has come at a price, revealing he had managed the injury all through last year. "There have been a few problems with his knee, which have been around for about two years," he told the Nine Network's Footy Show last night. It has just come to a point where I am sick of waiting for it to settle down after each match. I had a small incident last week where it got a little sore and didn't settle. We just had to make a decisive decision to get it right knowing I can't play next week and I don't want to be chasing it all year. The Geelong forward said he was optimistic he would return in no time. "He didn't give me a definitive time frame, but he said he was surprised how good a shape the knee was in," he said. I can walk around fine now and there wasn't much to the operation. Hopefully only a few weeks. The Cats enter Round 1 with several big names on the injury list, most of them ruckmen. The club announced this week it had promoted young talls Mark Blicavs and Josh Walker from the rookie list. Geelong's Round 1 opponent Hawthorn also this week placed knee victims Matt Suckling and Alex Woodward on the long-term injury list. No replacements have been named at this stage. The Barometer: Updated injury list for every club