CARLTON defender Lachie Plowman will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury after being stretchered from the field during the club's clash with Collingwood.
However, the youngster has avoided surgery on a grade two medial ligament strain.
Plowman landed awkwardly in the second quarter of Carlton's 20-point defeat on Sunday and required a stretcher to leave the field, unable to put any weight on his right leg.
Carlton plans to take a conservative approach with Plowman's recovery, already ruling the 23-year-old out for the remaining nine games in the club's campaign.
The Blues are still waiting for scan results on Matthew Kreuzer's ankle and Levi Casboult's finger, hopeful of determining the extent of their injury issues on Tuesday.
Casboult was a late withdrawal after suffering an open dislocation of his finger during the team's final warm-up, while Kreuzer missed the entire second half due to an ankle problem.
Both are unlikely to feature in next week's clash with Port Adelaide, though the club remains hopeful captain Marc Murphy will be fit following a foot injury.
Murphy has missed nine of the team's last 10 matches, though has resumed full training and will aim to prove his fitness throughout the next week.
Andrew Phillips appears the most likely replacement for Kreuzer, having been named among the best in the VFL on the weekend, while young forward Harry McKay could return to the senior side in the absence of Casboult.
First-year forward Tom De Koning had been edging closer to a senior debut following a promising run of form in the VFL, but left Sunday's Northern Blues game early due to injury.
FROM THE TWOS Around the state leagues
Speedy forward Jarrod Pickett is also likely to earn consideration for a return this weekend, having continued his successful recovery from a wrist injury in the VFL.
Pickett finished with three goals from 14 disposals, including the match-winning goal in the dying seconds of Sunday’s clash, to stake his claim for a first senior appearance of the season.
