COLLINGWOOD captain Nick Maxwell will miss the rest of the home-and-away season and possibly the Magpies' first final after fracturing his thumb during Friday night's 19-point win over St Kilda.

Maxwell, 28, has been ruled out for between three and four weeks, meaning he will miss the Pies' upcoming clashes with the Brisbane Lions, Fremantle and Geelong.

He is also a chance to be absent from the Pies' first game in September, which will be a qualifying match where a win will see them progress straight through to the preliminary final.

Maxwell sustained the injury in the final quarter of the Etihad Stadium contest, and had scans on Saturday morning to confirm the fracture.

Should the skipper return in time for the first final, he could come in with defender Heath Shaw, whose eight-week suspension for gambling ends in round 24.

The Pies also had Sharrod Wellingham, who was playing his first game since round 17 on Friday night, leave the field with an injury concern.

The midfielder was troubled by a sore hip and treated in the rooms, but coach Mick Malthouse said after the game he expected him to face the Lions next Saturday night.

"We are thinking he got a nice knee right on the hip. We will assess that as the week goes on, but we are pretty confident that is all it is," he said.

Forward Chris Dawes and defender Alan Toovey, who have been sidelined with hand injuries, are also poised to return to the side in the coming weeks.

Jennifer Witham covers Collingwood news for the AFL Website. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham.