COLLINGWOOD recruit Patrick Lipinski is set to be available for selection for Friday night's season-opener against St Kilda, but Will Hoskin-Elliott has suffered an injury scare and will undergo a fitness test on Wednesday.
Lipinski trained fully at the AIA Centre on Monday after rolling his ankle against Greater Western Sydney in the AAMI Community Series.
The 23-year-old showed no signs of the injury that took the gloss off an eye-catching practice match performance against Hawthorn and is expected to make his first appearance in the black and white in round one.
Lipinski moved to Collingwood in exchange for pick No.43 last October in search of greater opportunity after playing 56 games for the Western Bulldogs.
The versatile midfielder managed only 11 games in 2021 after struggling to secure a permanent spot in Luke Beveridge's best 22 and sought a fresh start at the Magpies.
Hoskin-Elliott sent a fright through the Magpies camp in a training mishap that brough a halt to a drill on Monday after the former Giant landed awkwardly taking a mark.
It is understood the 28-year-old has tweaked his hip and groin but escaped anything serious, after being taken inside by a trainer.
The club is confident Hoskin-Elliott should still be available to face the Saints if he can complete training on Wednesday.
Collingwood is set to regain vice-captains Taylor Adams (hamstring) and Jeremy Howe (groin), as well as Brody Mihocek (illness) and Isaac Quaynor (concussion) to start a new era under Craig McRae, after they all missed the trip to Giants Stadium for the final tune-up of the pre-season.
The Magpies will be without key defender Jordan Roughead (shoulder), off-season acquisition Nathan Kreuger (concussion/suspension), utility Nathan Murphy (ankle) and mature-age rookie Charlie Dean (foot).
Murphy was in line to plug a hole in a defence that was made weaker following the decision by Irishman Mark Keane to remain home, but the luckless swingman is set to miss the next two months after undergoing surgery to repair the ankle he dislocated against the Giants.
After a blistering start to his first pre-season at Collingwood, father-son recruit Nick Daicos is likely to be unleashed for his long-awaited debut against St Kilda.
The No.4 pick from the 2021 NAB AFL Draft is one of the clear favourites for this year's NAB AFL Rising Star award alongside North Melbourne young gun Jason Horne-Francis after amassing 31 disposals against Greater Western Sydney earlier this month.
