CARLTON ruckman Matthew Kreuzer is nearing full fitness after a knee reconstruction and is on the verge of making his return to AFL football.

The 22-year-old played his third VFL game at the weekend after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament against Fremantle in round 13 last season and impressed coach Brett Ratten with his work rate and freedom of movement.

If Kreuzer is selected in the team to face the Brisbane Lions at Etihad Stadium on Sunday, he will have returned to the field exactly one week short of the usual 12-month rehabilitation period recommended for a traditional knee reconstruction.

"He'll be very close," Ratten said from Visy Park on Tuesday.

"He played 95 per cent [of game time at the weekend], 75 per cent the week before and 50 per cent before that, but it will depend on how the knee responds.

"I had a chat to him this morning and he feels pretty good. He could really feel the difference between this week and last week. It was a fair bit [better], so his confidence is on the rise.

"The biggest battle for him will be his battle with his own expectations. That will be the biggest challenge that he'll have. We know what to expect and we'll give him some guidance when he does come into the seniors on what we expect of him.

"His own expectations will be extremely high because of the type of person he is."

With Shaun Hampson playing well and Robbie Warnock fit to play after missing two weeks with concussion, Ratten has the luxury of allowing Kreuzer another week or two at VFL level before inserting him back into the team that currently sits fourth on the premiership ladder.

The coach has previously stated that he would like to get three games into Kreuzer before considering him for senior selection, but added he didn't really count the first game in his comeback bid given he'd only played about a half of football in a forward role.

However, Kreuzer played well enough to be named in the best players for the Northern Bullants at the weekend and may have swayed the coach's thinking.

"This week he played predominantly in the ruck … so he got back to where he plays his best footy and he felt really comfortable in and around the footy," Ratten said.

"When he went up forward, he scored goals as well, so it was really good for him to get some familiarity around the position that he plays and loves."

The Bullants will play WAFL team Claremont at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast this weekend, but Ratten said that would not impact his thinking on selecting Kreuzer.

The Blues will be aiming for their eighth win of the season when they take on the Lions.

Full-back Michael Jamison was subbed out early in the 62-point win against Port Adelaide on Sunday with an ankle injury, but is expected to play. Jarrad Waite will undergo a fitness test later in the week after pulling up sore with gluteal/hamstring tightness.

Even if the pair doesn't come up for the clash, Ratten is blessed with plenty of selection options.

"Our list is fairly healthy and the depth of our group is really strong," he said.

"[Paul] Bower still hasn't played, [Lachie] Henderson looks pretty likely to come into senior football soon, [Ryan] Houlihan's not that far away and [Brock] McLean's doing a great job at reserves level … we've got a few there that can come back in."