Carlton coach Michael Voss has refused to get into "weekly dialogue" surrounding star forward Harry McKay as questions linger around his availability.
McKay featured in Round 1 but missed the following fortnight's defeats to Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs due to personal matters, with hope that he could return against Collingwood on Thursday.
Reports have indicated that despite the Coleman medallist working through his off-field troubles, he has returned to Ikon Park in some capacity, but wasn't seen on Wednesday at training, making him a long shot to face the Pies.
Voss was probed about whether McKay would put his hand up for selection in the crucial clash at the MCG, but remained coy.
"I probably won't go into the 'H' stuff," Voss said on Wednesday when asked about McKay's availability.
"I think the important thing for us is that we don't get into dialogue weekly about where he's at.
"I think we've been pretty sound on our position as a club, that when he's named in the team, he'll be ready to go.
"As an industry, we've been really supportive. For us, that's where we need to stay right now. As you can appreciate, if I'm standing up here every week and I'm answering that question I don't think we're fulfilling what we'd like to be."
The Blues are facing a 0-4 start, which would be their worst since 2019, the year they finished 16th.
In more positive news, Voss confirmed that Will White will debut against the Pies.
White, a speedy small forward, joined the club as an SSP selection after prized pick Jagga Smith went down with an ACL injury in the pre-season.
The 21-year-old was taken out of South Warrnambool and earned a spot on Carlton's VFL list in 2024, playing 18 games and kicking 21 goals, before making it to the top flight.
Fellow forward and veteran Zac Williams is expected to play despite pulling up sore from the Bulldogs loss.
Elijah Hollands, who took personal leave on the eve of the season, will make his comeback via Carlton's VFL team this weekend.
"Elijah's been able to take some time away from the club, but I guess over the last little while he's had more presence within our program," Voss said.
"I guess how he finds his way back into the team is by putting in a solid performance."
The MCG will be rocking on Thursday night as the two arch-rivals compete for the Peter Mac Cup.
Collingwood and Carlton rarely "unite" on anything, but they'll come together to support cancer research at Peter Mac, helping find donations to all Australians affected by cancer.
Players from both clubs head into the Peter Mac Centre each year, visiting those affected by cancer and providing support as they go through their journeys.
Ahead of the opening bounce, supporters at the ground are asked to shine their phone lights in unison.
