Swingman turns corner in recovery but still up to three weeks away
COLLINGWOOD swingman Ben Reid is "no chance" to face West Coast at the MCG on Saturday but he has turned the corner in his recovery from a calf complaint.
Reid is yet to play this season, due to a calf injury picked up in a pre-season practice match against Gold Coast on March 2.
However, he has picked up his training in the past week and has pencilled in a return via the VFL on June 7, after the Magpies' state league bye.
"He'll need another week and a half of full training and he's had two or three really solid sessions now," Magpies coach Nathan Buckley said on Tuesday.
"Just talking to Reidy then, he's really confident with where he's at, where his body is (and) the work he's been able to do over the last four weeks in particular."
But Buckley said the Magpies would not rush Reid's recovery, reiterating that he would play when he is ready.
"We've been scanning it consistently to understand the progression of the injury," Buckley said.
"Depending on what we're doing at senior level, we're giving Reidy as much time as he needs."
Reid trained away from the main group on Tuesday morning, going through a challenging session with first-round draftee Nathan Freeman.
Freeman, drafted at No.10 overall last year, is still two to three weeks away from a return from a hamstring injury.