CARLTON will be forced into making six changes for this weekend's must-win trip to Perth to face West Coast, headlined by Coleman Medal duo Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay's absence due to injury.
Curnow (ankle) and McKay (quad) have both been ruled out and will be joined on the sidelines by Adam Saad (hamstring), Jack Martin (hamstring), Lachie Fogarty (collarbone) and Jordan Boyd (adductor).
Fogarty is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024 season, including any finals games, due to a fractured collarbone while Boyd is also a chance to not feature again this year.
MEDICAL ROOM Check out the full injury list
However, Carlton officials remain hopeful that Curnow, McKay, Saad and Martin's injury issues are only short-term and are confident four of the six absentees will return for another crucial round 24 bout with St Kilda.
The six Carlton players were all injured during last weekend's brutally disappointing defeat to Hawthorn, which leaves the side's finals hopes in jeopardy following just one win from the last six matches.
They join a Blues injury list that is now 17-strong going into the campaign's final fortnight, with fellow star players Adam Cerra (hamstring), Tom De Koning (foot), Sam Docherty (knee) and Jack Silvagni (knee) also sidelined.
Matt Cottrell (shoulder), David Cuningham (shoulder), Orazio Fantasia (calf), Sam Durdin (calf) and Caleb Marchbank (concussion) have also left Carlton with a series of injury headaches throughout the latter parts of the year.
Carlton has used a total of 35 players this season, though Curnow's impending absence will mean only four – Patrick Cripps, Nic Newman, Matt Kennedy and Matt Owies – would have played every game. Meanwhile, 22 of the 35 players would have missed four games or more due to injury or selection.
Carlton's injury crisis over the weekend saw the Blues use just 49 interchange rotations, the second-fewest since the cap was reduced to 75 at the start of 2021. Brisbane remains the only side to use fewer in round eight this year, when Darcy Gardiner, Noah Answerth and Lincoln McCarthy were all injured in the first half.
The club is currently in the hunt for a new high-performance boss, after the highly regarded Andrew Russell announced he would retire at season's end following six years at Ikon Park.
The Blues must now win both of their last two games – against the Eagles at Optus Stadium and the Saints at Marvel Stadium – and hope for results elsewhere to go their way in order to qualify for September.
