CARLTON coach Brett Ratten has admitted midfielder Nick Stevens' weight issues had contributed to his demotion to VFL ranks.
Stevens has spent the past three weeks at the lower level since his omission following the Blues' loss to Essendon in round 13.
And he could face an uphill battle to earn a recall ahead of Friday night’s blockbuster with Collingwood at the MCG, with several teammates in contention and the Blues coming off a 61-point win over the Sydney Swans.
Ratten said Stevens' form "hadn't been great" before he was dropped but conceded his skin-folds had also been a factor.
"Probably part of [it], yeah," Ratten said from Visy Park on Tuesday.
However, he added that the 29-year-old's condition was nearing where it should be and that he was working hard to return to the senior side – even though frustration had crept in.
Ratten assessed Stevens' game for the Northern Bullants on the weekend as "okay" and said that selectors would decide the make-up of Carlton's squad on Wednesday.
"He’s a very good player, he’s in our probably best 22 when he’s up and firing, so he’ll be in the mix [for Friday] but whether he gets a game that’ll be determined tomorrow," Ratten said.
"I think all players in the situation are a little bit frustrated. You’d like to be playing senior footy and getting 30 touches each week and a couple of goals and best on ground and have it just working perfectly, but that’s the game itself.
"His form hadn’t been great, so he’s just gone back and he’s working on his game."
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