CARLTON could be without defender Sam Petrevski-Seton for its first Marsh Community Series game against Fremantle in eight days' time, with the promising youngster battling a quad injury.
The Blues are hopeful Petrevski-Seton will feature in at least one pre-season match before the club's round one clash with the Tigers, having been placed on restricted duties at training after tweaking his quad over the summer.
The calm ball-user, who appears likely to remain in the backline this season, was one of a number of key players to miss the club's impressive 32-point scratch match victory over Collingwood on Thursday.
Jack Martin and Zac Fisher were also absent, having dealt with soreness after significant training sessions on Monday. However, the Blues are confident both will make the trip to Mandurah to face the Dockers next Saturday night.
Veteran ruckman Matthew Kreuzer is also expected to feature against Fremantle, despite undergoing a minor heart procedure last week.
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However, the Blues won't rush Kreuzer, with their concerns about his availability eased somewhat after standout performances from his two deputies Marc Pittonet and Tom De Koning against the Pies.
Carlton is hopeful Mitch McGovern will return to action ahead of the club's second official pre-season outing against Brisbane on March 8, however the key forward appears unlikely to make the trip to Mandurah as he continues to build his loads after Christmas.
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A similar situation awaits defender Caleb Marchbank, who has made a strong recovery from six months in a brace after suffering a non-displaced fracture of a vertebrae at the base of his neck last July.
Harry McKay is touch-and-go as to whether he features in the Marsh Community Series, with the key forward still yet to re-join the main group after enduring a summer plagued by groin issues.
Co-captain Sam Docherty and fellow defender Tom Williamson are expected to play against Fremantle, having both made successful returns from two-year injury nightmares during Thursday's scratch match.
Docherty played four 25-minute intervals against Collingwood, having endured successive seasons on the sidelines due to back-to-back ACL injuries, while Williamson was among the best upon returning from just two games in two years due to debilitating back injuries.
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"The fact they played (Thursday) means they'll certainly be a chance to play next week pending how they pull up," Carlton backline coach Dale Amos said of Docherty and Williamson afterwards.
"They both got through unscathed, so if there are no setbacks they'll be a good chance to play next week."
The Blues have no concerns regarding the fitness of defender Jacob Weitering, who left the field early on Thursday afternoon and failed to return to the park after overstretching in his hip region.
"He just had a little bit of tightness off the back of a contest," Amos said.
"Given it was a practice match and the nature of it, we just took no risks there. We'll just monitor him. It was no-risk today, but we'll see how he is during the week.
"Today was a step in the right direction in terms of preparation for everyone and he'll be no different to anyone else."
Young defender Harrison Macreadie also missed against Collingwood, having just finished a strong training block after an injury-interrupted 2019 season, but the club expects him to be in the selection mix at some stage throughout the Marsh Community Series.
Charlie Curnow and Brodie Kemp, who are both dealing with respective knee issues, remain the club's only long-term injury problems with neither expected to take any part in the early stages of the 2020 season.
