Sam Docherty during the Blues' practice match against the Pies. Picture: Getty Images

AFTER 917 days on the sidelines, Sam Docherty will finally make his return to competitive action when Carlton meets Fremantle in its Marsh Community Series opener on Saturday night.

The Blues have confirmed that Docherty will make the trip to Mandurah this weekend, having gotten through last Thursday's scratch match victory over the Magpies unscathed.

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It will mark the Carlton defender's first official return to the playing field since he was named an Virgin Australia AFL All Australian in 2017, having suffered back-to-back ACL injuries that have kept him out of the game for successive seasons.

Sam Docherty in the gym on the Sunshine Coast in February. Picture: Michael Willson

Docherty will act as the club's sole skipper for its trip to Western Australia, with fellow co-captain Patrick Cripps unavailable for the clash as he lines up for the All-Stars in Friday night's State of Origin Bushfire Relief match at Marvel Stadium.

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"It's exciting for him," Carlton assistant coach John Barker said on Wednesday.

"It's obviously his first hitout against opposition in two years, but he's building really well and it's exciting for him not just from a football point-of-view but also from a personal point-of-view.

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"When you're injured, the toll that can take and how lonely you can feel as an injured player at a football club … it's good that he'll get a bit of emotional nourishment from being able to play again and do what he loves."

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Carlton defender Jacob Weitering is unlikely to face Fremantle, having trained away from the main group in wet conditions on Wednesday morning as he recovers from an adductor strain sustained in the early stages of Thursday's practice match against Collingwood.

However, new recruit Jack Martin and midfielder Zac Fisher are set to return, having missed last Thursday's unofficial hitout due to soreness.

Veteran ruckman Matthew Kreuzer will also feature on limited minutes against the Dockers, despite undergoing a minor heart procedure last week, while young defender Sam Petrevski-Seton is touch-and-go as he battles a quad complaint.

Meanwhile, the race for Carlton's final list spot via the pre-season Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) appears down to three, with former Western Bulldogs utility Lukas Webb suffering a hamstring injury.

Webb, who has been training with the Blues since November, limped from the field in the dying moments of the club's marathon scratch match against the Magpies, with a scan subsequently confirming a tear.

He has since been removed from the club's train-on list, with ex-Richmond forward Callum Moore, former Geelong midfielder Jordan Cunico and overlooked Northern Knights defender Ryan Sturgess still vying for the final spot in Carlton's squad.