Melbourne senior coach Simon Goodwin has provided an update on a trio of injured Demons ahead of his side's Round 1 blockbuster against the Western Bulldogs, ruling out Jack Viney, Bayley Fritsch, and Christian Salem due to respective ailments.
Salem, battling a problematic thyroid issue, was already known to be out of contention for the all-important Round 1 bout, however, Viney (knee) and Fritsch (foot) both faced tests this week but were unable to prove their fitness.
Goodwin greeted the media on Wednesday morning ahead of his side's season opener, detailing the progress and timeline for the return of each of the three integral Demons.
"Yeah, look, Viney, Fritsch, and Salem all won't play," Goodwin began.
"Viney, he's close, he'll [probably] play next week, and [Fritsch] is very close as well, he'll play next week as well, and potentially Salem as well.
"So, those three guys just a little bit short in terms of their preparation, but we feel like with another couple of weeks of load into their bodies, they'll be right for the season, for the whole season.
"So, those guys won't play, and that'll give opportunities to others," he concluded.
Those opportunities may be gifted to the likes of Judd McVee, a like-for-like Salem replacement across half-back, who appears in the frame for an AFL debut after impressing throughout the pre-season, as well as forward Kade Chandler, who peppered the goal-face with four scoring shots in the Demons' pre-season victory against Richmond and looks to be in the box seat to fill Fritsch's boots.
Elsewhere on Goodwin's team sheet, key defender Steven May is reportedly racing the clock to be fit for the season opener, with 7News' Mitch Cleary Tweeting that the stopper was still battling a calf complaint less than three days out from Dees' date with the Dogs.
The Dogs, on the other hand, will be without livewire forward Cody Weightman after he was ruled out with an ongoing hip ailment.
Selected squads for the highly-anticipated clash are set to be announced on Thursday evening.
The Demons will go toe-to-toe with the Bulldogs on Saturday, March 18 (7:25 PM AEDT).