The Cats star will miss up to three weeks after straining an adductor muscle against Melbourne last weekend.
“He’s the best player in the competition at the moment and there’ll be 40 touches and a couple of goals less for their team,” McVeigh said before training at the SCG on Tuesday.
“I probably would have been on him at some stage of the game… but you’ve got Bartel, Corey, Selwood – some big names there so we’ll still have our work cut out.
“Obviously you don’t wish injuries on anyone but in saying that, we’ll take him being out.”
The Swans have failed to win successive games this season and the pre-game betting market suggests they will find it tough to knock over Geelong on Saturday, following last weekend’s 19-point win against Richmond.
TAB Sportsbet has the Swans as $7 outsiders to defeat the Cats on their home turf.
McVeigh described the trip to Geelong as “the toughest challenge in footy” but he said the Swans were aiming to return home with the four premiership points.
He said Geelong’s current dominance would not affect his teammates’ mental preparation for the clash.
“I don’t think you need more motivation for any week. You should be motivated just by yourself, otherwise we don’t want you out on the field,” he said.
“I wouldn’t have thought there was any extra motivation because of how good they are. You should be ready to go each week.”
But he said a more consistent contribution would be required from all players.
“On the weekend, we only played a half of footy against Richmond and they were in the game the whole way,” McVeigh said.
“We thought we had a good first half and the pressure was up in the third or fourth quarters, but we didn’t have the legs in us. They came back, but a few good efforts at the end won us the game.
“It’s going to take a four-quarter effort and we’ll be looking to do that.”
