Star ruckman Brodie Grundy is expected to miss a fortnight of training with a bruised little toe.
The 2018 All Australian big man didn't take to the training track, but was working hard in the gym on Monday.
The Magpies told AFL.com.au that Grundy was sore after a teammate had accidentally stood on the toe.
However, it is anticipated the injury will simply be a minor inconvenience and it won't affect Grundy's preparations for the season.
Fitness won't be an issue, particularly given the 24-year-old returned to pre-season training in December in lean shape after losing weight while trekking to base camp at Mt Everest.
In better news for last year's runner-up, injury-plagued matchwinner Jamie Elliott has taken a step forward in his quest for a return to football.
Towards the end of Collingwood's gruelling two-and-a-half-hour session at its Olympic Park base on Monday, the brilliant small forward produced a touch of class that reinforced his star quality and heightened hopes that he might join the Magpies' 'Swoop Squad' of mobile forwards.
Elliott and gun midfielder Adam Treloar, who also suffered hamstring problems last season, didn't participate in the initial match simulation session, with both completing a running session instead, but they returned to make their presence felt in a later simulated session.
At one point Elliott, resplendent in pale pink boots, outmaneuvered second-year defender Nathan Murphy in a one-on-one contest to take a classy overhead mark at half-forward, before wheeling around and delivering a long pass to veteran Travis Varcoe for an easy goal.
On another occasion the livewire goalkicker won a free kick after being infringed in a similar man-on-man duel.
The 26-year-old's fitness has been a major talking point, given the fears for his playing career after missing two of the past three seasons, predominantly with back and hamstring injuries.
In November, Elliott and fellow hamstring victim Darcy Moore travelled with club doctor Ruben Branson to Germany to consult foremost hamstring injury expert Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt.
There were further concerns in the Pies' last session before Christmas when Elliott left the track early in what the club insisted was a "precautionary" measure. He has been on a modified program since resuming training and has steadily increased his workload.
Adding to the positivity, key defender Moore continues to move freely. In match simulation he briefly opposed giant forward Mason Cox, and if fit should be a great asset with his speed, anticipation and marking and kicking ability.
Diminutive midfielder Josh Daicos, 20, was perhaps best afield on a wing with his elusiveness and deft ball use on either side. He faces a tough task to break into the Pies' powerful running brigade but is making good inroads.
Other notable non-trainers were veteran defender Lynden Dunn, who is on his way back from a knee reconstruction, and high flyer Jeremy Howe, who was attending a funeral in Tasmania and is expected to return to full training in the next fortnight after recovering from a shoulder operation.
Among those who weren't involved in match simulation but who completed a combination of running and other drills were emerging superstar Jordan De Goey, returned champion Dayne Beams, defender Jack Crisp, veterans Daniel Wells, Ben Reid and Levi Greenwood, along with Matt Scharenberg, Flynn Appleby, Tim Broomhead and top draftees Isaac Quaynor and Will Kelly.
Ex-Dog Jordan Roughead showed his value, competing well in the ruck and key defence, while reigning NAB AFL Rising Star winner Jaidyn Stephenson was as dangerous as ever around the goals.
Collingwood's new Irish pair Anton Tohill and Mark Keane also enjoyed some good moments, with a strong Tohill contested mark at centre half-forward almost immediately followed by a classical one-hander from Keane at full-back.
A regular feature of the Magpies' match simulation was fitness chief Kevin White blowing his whistle, which was a signal for the players to automatically run around him and return to their positions.
