Exeter Chiefs' winger Campbell Ridl is expected to miss most of the upcoming rugby season after sustaining a significant knee injury during the club's opening pre-season match. The 21-year-old, who emerged as a standout player last season, scored 17 tries in 24 games, including one in Exeter's Premiership final loss to Northampton Saints at Twickenham. Ridl suffered the injury while attempting to pass the ball during a game against Welsh side Scarlets earlier this month, and he was forced to leave the field shortly after the incident. The injury has been diagnosed as damage to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a key ligament in the knee that provides stability. Exeter's director of rugby, Rob Baxter, explained that the injury also involves cartilage damage, which is likely to prolong the recovery time. While some players can return to play within six months with a fast rehabilitation, Baxter suggested that Ridl's recovery may take longer due to the additional damage. "Unfortunately for Campbell, it's going to be relatively long-term this season," Baxter told BBC Sport. Ridl's injury is a setback for a player who was considered one of the most promising talents in English rugby. Last season, he scored back-to-back hat-tricks in Premiership Rugby Cup matches and recorded six tries in six Premiership games between mid-March and mid-May. His injury occurred at a time when he had just completed his first full season in professional rugby, which Baxter noted could provide an opportunity for Ridl to focus on physical development and academic pursuits during his recovery. While the injury is undoubtedly disappointing, Baxter emphasized that there could be long-term benefits. "He's also at university and deep in studies, so you've got to try to look at the positives of these things," Baxter said. "If it gives him a period of really good development, getting on top of university studies, getting things really in line for next season, then you've got to try and look at this as part of the development process he's going to go through over the next five or six years of his career."