The Magpies meet Carlton at the MCG on Sunday but have confirmed that Cloke will miss two to three matches with a hamstring injury.
Cloke, considered by many to be side’s barometer, left the field early in the final quarter of Monday night’s big loss to St Kilda and did not return to the field.
Collingwood football manager Geoff Walsh said the powerfully-built left-footer was having scans today but was expected to miss upcoming matches against the Blues, West Coast and Port Adelaide.
“Trav will probably miss a couple of weeks, I think it’s a regulation hammy … we’d expect it’ll be something that’ll take 14 to 21 days,” Walsh told collingwoodfc.com.au.
Cloke isn’t the only concern for coach Mick Malthouse.
Josh Fraser, who suffered a knee injury against St Kilda, has been listed as a test this week, while the Pies will be sweating on the fitness of late withdrawals Paul Medhurst (ankle) and Leon Davis (abdominal strain).
The duo was sorely missed on Monday night as Collingwood could only manage five goals for the evening.
Walsh said Davis and Medhurst should be fit to tackle Carlton and Fraser was also confident he could play, despite injuring the same posterior cruciate ligament which has hampered him in past seasons.
“He stretched his PCL ligament in his knee … but he’s pulled up pretty well today and it hasn’t swelled up as much as we thought it might,” he said.
“We’ll be relying on him knowing his body better than anyone but he said this morning he’d be right to play, so we’re thinking it’s more likely he will [play] than he won’t.”
Walsh said midfielders Dane Swan (groin) and Dale Thomas were sore but should be right to play this week.
Alan Didak (hamstring), another player who usually adds flair and creates so much with the ball in his hands, is another week away from resuming.
One piece of bright news for the Magpies is the fact they will regain 2009 leading goalkicker John Anthony from suspension this week, while long-term shoulder victim Sean Rusling might also play his first match for the year at VFL level.
“I think he’s probably close to playing this week; I think we’d be disappointed if he doesn’t get up this week,” Walsh said
Collingwood had enjoyed a relatively injury-free run in the early part of the season, but struck trouble at the wrong time.
“I suppose it (injuries) swings and slides a bit; you go all right for a few weeks and then you get a few,” Walsh said.
“You’re probably going to expect peaks and troughs with injuries, so hopefully this is our time when we’re getting a few and we clear it up pretty quickly, hopefully.”
