HIGH-profile Western Bulldogs recruit Adam Treloar remains in significant doubt to face his former team Collingwood in round one.
Treloar, who was forced out in the Magpies' fire sale during last year's AFL Trade Period, has been battling a calf injury for a month.
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The 27-year-old has a history of soft-tissue injuries and the Bulldogs are taking a cautious approach with their prized midfielder.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said Treloar will only play "some minutes" in the reserves practice match on Monday, if at all.
"He'd had a really strong training patch and then he got a cork in his calf and kept running on it. So it turned into something a little bit worse," Beveridge told SEN radio on Wednesday.
"We've got about 12 days until round one (after Monday) and we'll just see how that shapes up."
Treloar might not be the only much-talked-about player missing for the March 19 game against the Magpies at the MCG, with No.1 draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan set to be eased into his promising AFL career.
The prodigiously talented key forward was unable to play any under-age football last season because of COVID-19 restrictions and Beveridge said that meant Ugle-Hagan was coming from a long way back.
"Jamarra will play when he's physically ready and he's a fair way off at the moment," Beveridge said.
The recruitment of Treloar bolsters an already-impressive midfield at the Whitten Oval club that includes captain Marcus Bontempelli, Jack Macrae and Tom Liberatore.
Fellow premiership on-baller Josh Dunkley is still at the club after his trade request to join Essendon fell through.
Dunkley was unhappy at being used in a variety of different positions last year but Beveridge said there was no guarantee the 24-year-old would be back in the midfield full time.
"(Dunkley) didn't play his best game against Hawthorn (last week)," Beveridge said.
"He's fully aware that there's pressure for game time in any role in our team.
"There's pressure on for his (Dunkley's) spot and the role that he plays."
