STAR Collingwood forward Jamie Elliott was a no-show at Collingwood training on Tuesday and appears unlikely to be fit to face Richmond in the Magpies' final JLT Community Series game in Moe on Saturday.
In another injury scare, gun Magpies ruckman Brodie Grundy left the track early on Tuesday and limped into the changerooms.
Grundy was spotted at the club with a bandage on his calf and icepack in hand, but the club tweeted that it was only a corked calf and that he is a chance to play against the Tigers this weekend.
Marquee recruit Daniel Wells was another notable absentee as his chances of appearing in round one against the Western Bulldogs dwindle by the day. The midfielder is battling to shrug off a lingering calf complaint.
Elliott has been struggling to overcome a niggling ankle issue, an injury he suffered at training on February 20.
The Magpies were confident at the time that the high-flying forward would miss only "a couple of training sessions" but that injury timeline has blown out significantly.
It is believed Elliott trained indoors on Tuesday and completed work in the gym. The club is hopeful he will be able to increase his workload in the next fortnight ahead of round one.
Elliott missed the entire 2016 season with a serious back injury, but the forward sparkled on the training track over the summer and looked in good nick in the Magpies' first pre-season hit-out against Essendon, picking up eight disposals and three marks in limited gametime.
The 24-year-old shapes as an important player in a rejigged Collingwood forward line in 2017.
In better news for the Magpies, star defender Ben Reid trained strongly on Tuesday as he looks to play his first game for the year after recovering from knee surgery.
Reid has been back in full training for well over a month and seems on track to be ready for the opening-round clash against the Dogs.
There is every chance Reid may be available for the game against the Tigers, after he played in a VFL practice match last Friday night.
Midfielder Jordan De Goey trained largely with the club's rehab group after he missed last week's JLT Community Series match against Fremantle in Mandurah.
It is understood De Goey has been managing a toe problem that first flared over the pre-season, but the club is confident it is not serious.
The emerging onballer could return to the senior team as soon as this weekend if he can progress his training further during the week.
Defender Josh Smith was back in full training having recovered from a tweaked ankle early last week.
Key defender Lynden Dunn was on light duties and ran laps at training, while Levi Greenwood also spent some time away from the main group towards the end of the session.
Jamie Elliott on crutches after first injuring his ankle on February 20