COLLINGWOOD is bracing to be without captain Scott Pendlebury for up to four matches after scans revealed he had suffered a quad strain in Sunday's warm-up against West Coast.

Pendlebury was removed from the Pies' line-up less than five minutes before the 66-point loss to the Eagles after complaining of tightness in his quad. 

ROUNDS 9-12 Check out the full fixture

The Pies have a seven-day break before facing Fremantle which will be the first of four games inside a 14-day window. 

The final game of their next block – round 12 against Melbourne – will fall on August 15 and is 20 days after his injury on Sunday. 

"It was my last kick for the warm-up session, I just felt a little pinch in my quad and had scans this morning and there's a little strain there," Pendlebury told collingwoodfc.com.au on Monday. 

"I'll probably miss the next couple of games which is unfortunate. 

"I think we made the right call not to play. If there's a little strain there and you continue to play or try and play through that, it might rip into something far more significant."

Emergency Atu Bosenavulagi earned a late reprieve to tackle the Eagles as the last emergency who was warming up with the team. 

The other three emergencies – Brayden Sier, Ben Reid and Jack Madgen – instead turned their focus to a scratch match later in the afternoon against West Coast's reserves. 

Sier will be a contender for Pendlebury's vacant spot, while vice-captain Steele Sidebottom is a certain starter after serving his four-match suspension for breaking COVID-19 protocols. 

Draftee Jay Rantall and second-year midfielder Tyler Brown will be considered, while the Pies may opt to give more midfield time to Jack Crisp as they did against the Eagles.  

COLLINGWOOD'S NEXT FOUR MATCHES

Round 9 v Fremantle, Optus Stadium, Sunday, August 2
Round 10 v Sydney, Gabba, Thursday, August 6
Round 11 v Adelaide, Adelaide Oval, Tuesday, August 11
Round 12 v Melbourne, Gabba, Saturday, August 15