Carlton are taking a "no-risk approach" with injured midfielder Sam Walsh, who will miss both of the Blues' pre-season games in the lead-up to Opening Round.
Walsh is dealing with a back issue and has been placed on a modified program, with the club deciding to reduce the former No.1 pick's training load just over two weeks out from their season opener against Brisbane.
Carlton football boss Brad Lloyd confirmed on Wednesday that Walsh will be monitored over the course of the coming weeks, with a call on his Opening Round selection chances to be made at a later date.
โSam experienced back soreness after completing match simulation last Monday. After further assessment it has been decided to reduce his training loads,โ Lloyd said in a club update.
โWe will take a no-risk approach with Sam's return to play, therefore he will not feature in the upcoming practice games, with the Club to provide a further update on Sam's progress prior to our Round Zero clash against Brisbane.โ
Meanwhile, forward Jack Martin is expected to return to main training sometime next week after suffering an MCL knee sprain, with the club giving the former Sun up to three weeks to recover.
Fellow small forwards Matt Owies and Corey Durdin join Martin in being in some doubt for Carlton's trip to the Gabba in early March, with the Blues duo dealing with a calf and hamstring injuries respectively.
Defender Caleb Marchbank is also being monitored after "experiencing post-viral symptoms following an illness", with no clear indication provided on when he'll be back at full fitness.
The Blues are already without defender Jacob Weitering (calf) and fringe ruckman Alex Mirkov (medical) for the start of the season, with forward Jack Silvagni (knee) missing the season to come.
Carlton's 2024 campaign commences with a trip to the Gabba to face Brisbane on Friday, March 8. They will face Geelong and Melbourne over the next week as part of their pre-season schedule.
