JORDAN De Goey won't play against Richmond on Saturday and is likely to miss the Pies' round 20 clash with Sydney after developing bone stress in his lower leg.
De Goey was taken off after a knock in Saturday's win over North Melbourne and has developed soreness in his fibula during the recovery process.
He has been a notable absentee from Collingwood's training sessions this week as he rests his injured leg.
"We're told it'll be two weeks before we can get back and have a look at where that has settled," coach Nathan Buckley said on Thursday.
"He should be right to complete the season as it stands.
"It's unfortunate for Jordy, but we make decisions based on the information we've got and someone else will get their chance."
De Goey has been in rare form this season and is second in the club's goal-kicking after playing just 14 matches.
Despite the relative unknown about how a bone stress injury will respond to rest, Buckley said the club wasn't thinking about the prospect of being without the 22-year-old in September.
"No, is the short answer, but we wouldn't be taking this action if it wasn't a concern at all," he said.
"The prudent decision is to offload him and to give him a chance to recover fully and then get him back on track."
In better news, Darcy Moore and Steele Sidebottom trained on Thursday and are expected to face the Tigers in the first-versus-third clash at the MCG.
Moore was a late withdrawal from the win over the Kangaroos with hamstring tightness, while scans on Sunday cleared Sidebottom of facial damage after a hard knock.
Forward Mason Cox is also expected to play after missing the West Coast loss the previous week with soreness and having follow up scans this week.
Jamie Elliott, Alex Fasolo, James Aish and Jarryd Blair will suit up for their second games back in the VFL on Sunday after successful returns on the weekend.
And, Ben Reid – who trained on Thursday - is a chance to join them after surgery on both knees earlier this month.
"The surgery that took place was important, he feels like it's had a significant impact and you don't go to surgical intervention unless you've exhausted all other opportunities," Buckley said.
"He's up and about and feeling well within himself, so whether we pull the trigger on him for VFL this week or next, we'll make that assessment in the next 24 hours."
Meanwhile, Buckley said he didn't expect posturing in Saturday's game despite the possibility of the teams meeting again in the finals.
"They could use it as an audition for us as well," he said.
"Home and away games are just about positioning yourself as well as you possibly can for the post-season.
"For us, we're still in the process of doing that, and there are a lot of sides that are in the process of doing that – where you qualify, if you qualify.
"We've still got some questions to answer, but there's no doubt whenever you get a couple of finals sides come up against each other towards the end of the year there's going to be links made to what it might look like in five to six weeks and we understand that, but it doesn't really make any difference in round 19.
"We'll have a bit up our sleeve if we meet again."
