CARLTON coach Michael Voss is hopeful the hamstring injury suffered by captain Patrick Cripps is minor but says it's a "wait and see".
Cripps left Sunday's 30-point loss to Gold Coast late in the first quarter nursing his left hamstring and did not return to the field after the break.
"These sorts of ones are an assessment, and we wait and see," Voss said.
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"I think it's only minor, but I've had scenarios before where you say that and it turns out to be something else.
"We’ll just wait and find out and do the assessment as needed and make some calls on what happens from there."
Carlton was already trailing around the stoppages and on the scoreboard when Cripps left the field, but its re-worked midfield struggled to make any genuine impact thereafter.
Gold Coast won the clearance count 45-27, largely on the back of Jarrod Witts, who dominated the ruck battle against Tom De Koning following the match-eve withdrawal of Marc Pittonet.
Voss was not using Cripps' injury as an excuse though and said nothing would change if he was forced into time on the sidelines.
"Another man comes in, and we've had the capability in that group to be able to get it done," he said.
"(Sam) Walsh was missing there for a game or two and the guys were able to do a great job there as well.
"While the captain has been in great form and he's a fantastic leader and he's obviously a contested beast, we can't dismiss that, but at the same time, that'd be letting others off the hook I think."
Voss was confident Pittonet (back) would be available to play Port Adelaide next weekend.
Suns coach Stuart Dew said the victory was exactly the response he was looking for following a lacklustre outing against Greater Western Sydney eight days earlier.
"It was a good process, good acknowledgement of where we were poor last week and went about our business today and across the board, not relying on too few," Dew said.
"I still think we leave a few goals out there we could get some connects on, but to be fair, good to get the result."
He said the challenge was now to back it up against St Kilda, something the Suns have battled to do over many years.
Gold Coast will be sweating on the fitness of Jack Lukosius, who left the field late in the match hobbling with what appeared to be a knee injury.
"No information yet as to what his medical condition is like," Dew said.
"Fingers crossed that it's not too bad and he can play soon.
"A quick fly-by from the physio at the end there and he said we'll get a scan and let you know, but that won't happen until tomorrow or the next day."
