TALENTED swingman Darcy Moore will be named in the squad to face West Coast at the MCG on Sunday while spring-heeled forward Will Hoskin-Elliott will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness.
Hoskin-Elliott suffered bone bruising in his right leg against Essendon, and while he played through the injury the club initially feared he would miss up to a fortnight.
>> Click here for full teams from 6.20pm AEST
However, he trained at the Holden Centre on Sunday and will be named in a squad of 26 on Thursday that will also include Callum Brown, Travis Varcoe, Adam Oxley and Sam Murray.
"The likelihood is he (Hoskin-Elliott) will play, but we'll run that all the way to the line if we need to," Pies coach Nathan Buckley said.
Meanwhile, tall forward Mason Cox wasn't part of the main group, but Buckley had no doubts the American forward would be fit.
"Coxy had a bit of a run around and we gave him a light session. We have our last session on Saturday, going into Sunday, so he'll be right for that," Buckley said.
The Eagles could be boosted by the return of key forwards Jack Darling (right ankle) and Josh Kennedy (right leg).
Collingwood is already without backman Lynden Dunn, who recently ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and Moore would prove a welcome replacement.
However, he hasn't played since round eight, when the 22-year-old suffered his second hamstring injury of the season, and he is no certainty to face West Coast.
"Darcy will be in our squad but that doesn't mean he's playing," Buckley said.
"We do have that (VFL) bye. Darcy's progress has been pretty good. He's played one VFL game and he's still got to get through another session, and we've got to decide that we want to pull the trigger on him.
"We're not looking over the fence (at the Eagles) too much at this stage. We've got to make decisions based on where we're at and where we need to go, and where Darce is as at and where he needs to go."
MATCH PREVIEW Pies v Eagles
Buckley has no doubts Hoskin-Elliott would be able to play through pain if required.
"For a bloke who plays the way he does, and I suppose is as skilled as he is, and we sort of see him in that light, he's one of the most physically resilient and mentally tough players that I've known," Buckley said.
"The loads that he has endured, from a running sense or a game time sense, last year, and then through injury, I've got no doubt that if he's remotely around the mark, that he'll be able to handle it."
Jeremy Howe tackles Will Hoskin-Elliott during Thursday's training session. Picture: AFL Photos
Jamie Elliott (hamstring), James Aish (left knee), Alex Fasolo (right ankle) and Jarryd Blair (hamstring) will all take part in a VFL intraclub match on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, Buckley has no issues with Essendon coach John Worsfold catching up with the umpires' boss Hayden Kennedy following the Bombers' 'alarming' free kick differentials with the Pies coach revealing he had called Kennedy "two or three times" this year.
"I'm pretty sure that the senior coaches should be entitled to have that conversation and the umpiring department welcome it," Buckley said.
"They can only pay what they see but if there's a trend going one way or the other, it's a conversation that can be had.
"I've got no problem with it."
