Click on the video above to watch Scott Pendlebury address the media before training.

COLLINGWOOD key forward Chris Dawes looks set to defy his hand and calf niggles to play his first game in eight weeks next Friday night against Fremantle.

On Friday, stand-in Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury said Dawes' omission this week was just a precaution.

"His calf looks all right. I heard he was a bit sore in the calf but I think it's more his hand that's a little bit sore," Pendlebury said.

"This time of the year, you don't want to be pushing someone like him who is so important to our side to get back when he's not quite ready.

"He should be ready for the Fremantle game."

Dawes ran freely before Collingwood training on Friday, with his sore calf seemingly giving him few problems.

The return of Alan Toovey this week is a major boon for Collingwood, with Pendlebury thrilled to have the defender back in the team after five weeks out with a finger injury.

"Toovey is one of those guys you've got a lot of trust in as a player. You know he will win his position," Pendlebury said.

"Hopefully he comes back and picks up right where he left off."

Two-time All Australian Alan Didak is also nearing full fitness, but will not be rushed into more game time after playing consecutive games as a substitute as he returns from a five-week injury layoff.

"I think 'Dids' is ready for a full game," Pendlebury said.

"But I think it's up to the fitness staff to make sure they aren't pushing him too hard.

"You don't want to bring him back and then [have him] do a soft tissue injury this time of year."

Didak is set to be an important asset for Collingwood come finals time, with Pendlebury confident the 2006 Copeland Trophy winner had regained his zip after his calf injury.

"He has looked really sharp in his first few games. He looks to have the zip back in his legs," he said.

"He's going to be a massive player for us in September."

With captain Nick Maxwell and Heath Shaw set to return in the finals, Dawes expected to make his comeback next week and Toovey and Didak only recently returned from extended spells on the sidelines, there is a school of thought that having so many big names searching for match fitness at the backend of the season could adversely affect Collingwood's quest for back-to-back flags.

Pendlebury doesn't buy into such thinking.

"I don't think it will affect us with guys coming back in as long as they play their role," he said.

"We're more advanced [in our form compared to 2010] because we've been playing the game style for 18 months."

Pendlebury credits the influx of youth for helping to ensure there was no complacency at the club after last year's premiership, with Tom Young set to become the Magpies' fifth debutant this season.

"For us as a side to get better, these guys need to be putting their hand up and putting pressure on the senior guys and to their credit, they've done that," Pendlebury said.

"[They] bring youth and enthusiasm."

The Collingwood star said the time taken for Young - a NSW scholarship graduate and last year's best and fairest in the Collingwood reserves - to break through to the seniors highlighted the Pies' depth.

"[He has been] pushing up every week," he said.

"His form was really good last year and he couldn’t get a game and he is close to that honour [Collingwood reserves' best and fairest] again."