Nick Daicos at Collingwood training on April 1, 2026. Picture: AFL Photos

COLLINGWOOD expects superstar Nick Daicos to be fit to face Fremantle on Friday night, following his late withdrawal from the Magpies' loss to Brisbane last Thursday.

Daicos was unable to pass a pre-game fitness test at the Gabba with a corked calf hampering his mobility, and the Pies sorely missed their best player as they slumped to a 54-point loss.

AFL.com.au's Josh Gabelich told Access on Monday morning that Daicos had spent the weekend in Queensland after the Lions game and was tracking well to line up against the red-hot Dockers in the Gather Round clash at Adelaide Oval.

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"The expectation right now is he'll be OK for Gather Round. They play Fremantle on Friday night at the Adelaide Oval. He was the big talking point, given the drama around his late withdrawal at the Gabba," Gabelich said.

"He stayed up in Queensland. Collingwood had a three-day break up in Queensland. A lot of Magpies spent some time there and they return to the club today. They'll get a decent assessment of Nick Daicos today. But I'm told his calf is improving."

Gabelich said veteran Scott Pendlebury is also considered a good chance to play Fremantle after missing the trip to Brisbane with a sore Achilles.

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Meanwhile, there is less certainty around the ongoing fitness of key Western Bulldogs midfielder Ed Richards, who was a late withdrawal from Sunday night's win over Essendon with knee soreness.

Gabelich said Richards, who averaged 26 disposals and almost six clearances a game in the Dogs' opening three wins, will be scanned on Monday to assess his prognosis. Ruck Tim English (knee) and forward Arty Jones (hamstring) both failed to complete the 34-point win over the Bombers and will also go for scans as the Dogs juggle a sudden glut of injury concerns.

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Veteran midfielder Adam Treloar's return to the senior side also looks a way off as he was ruled out of Footscray's VFL game this weekend with general soreness. The 33-year-old has played just four games since the start of last year with nagging soft-tissue injuries.

Hawthorn pair Karl Amon and Cam Mackenzie, who are both out of the side to face Geelong in the Easter Monday blockbuster, are expected to miss just one week with their respective knee problems.