CARLTON has been handed some much-needed good news on the injury front, with young defender Caleb Marchbank likely to be available for selection this week.

However, important ruckman Matthew Kreuzer remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from minor knee surgery that the 29-year-old underwent in January.

Marchbank has been troubled by a back injury all summer, though the Blues expect the former No.6 draft pick to be in the mix for selection ahead of Saturday's clash with Sydney.

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It's set to be a huge boost for the Blues backline, with the highly rated Marchbank likely to complement a defence made up of Jacob Weitering, Liam Jones and Lachie Plowman.

"(Caleb) has had a really pleasing last six weeks of training," Carlton's high-performance manager Andrew Russell said.

"He's now in a position where he's getting very close to selection. He's going to be in the mix to play AFL this week."

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Kreuzer remains absent as he battles a knee problem, with Carlton continuing to take a cautious approach with the ruckman, who is yet to play a senior game this season.

The veteran might have played in the VFL this week, though the Northern Blues' round one bye has forced the club to be patient with his return to action.

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"We’ve been a bit conservative with his preparation over the last few weeks," Russell said.

"He's been starting to get through back-to-back consistent sessions and this week, if there was a VFL game, he would play.

"We'll probably do some internal gameplay this week and then he'll be in the mix the week after."

Carlton is also set to be without emerging superstar Charlie Curnow (knee) and speedy midfielder David Cuningham (bruised kidney) for the majority of the next month.

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