BRAYDEN Maynard has joined fellow Collingwood "battering ram" Brody Mihocek as casualties for the match against the resurgent Western Bulldogs.
While coach Craig McRae initially said a knee injury was the main problem for Maynard, the Magpies later clarified the defender will miss Friday's Marvel Stadium game because of shoulder soreness.
Mihocek was already ruled out of the match with hamstring trouble.
With Dan McStay needing to return through the VFL, Mihocek's absence will mean a shake-up of the Collingwood attack.
The big inclusion will be star utility Jordan De Goey, who returns from his three-game suspension.
"It's a bit of a combination of a couple of weeks of too much soreness," McRae said of Maynard.
"He's a battering ram and we have to hold him back from himself sometimes.
"We're confident he'll be available next week, so we'll see how that progresses."
Mihocek has been cleared of a hamstring strain after last week's win over Gold Coast, but McRae said he needs rest.
"He's just really stiff and sore ... another battering ram we've got. Unfortunately he's not available as well," McRae said.
Injury and illness have kept McStay sidelined since round five.
"Every time I mention Dan is going to play, I get excited that he's back, and then I don't know whether he's walking over black cats or underneath ladders, but he just can't take a trick at the moment," McRae said.
"He'll play VFL this week, barring any more illness."
De Goey will make a welcome return after his enforced mid-season break in a major boost for the ladder-leading Magpies.
"It's good to have Jordy back - he's been annoying me all week," McRae said.
"It's not often you bring back one of your best players. We're excited for what that could be."
McRae has downplayed talk of Collingwood fans staging a protest against the attention Jack Ginnivan has received from VFL opponents.
Ginnivan is having a spell out of the AFL to regain form and McRae said it is all part of a footballer's lot.
"I would do the same. Your good players playing VFL, you want to, if you can, get under their skin," McRae said.
"We love our fans, we love how passionate they are, but I'm not sure in regards to a protest, whatever that means.
"We want our players to embrace what comes ... you go back to VFL, there's a target on you. He's working through that.
"I remember way back when I was a skinny little man running around, it happened to me."