Collingwood duo Brodie Grundy and Jordan De Goey will be fit to tackle Brisbane on Thursday night despite being sent for COVID-19 tests on Monday.

The star pair missed the Pies' training session on Monday morning with a "sniffle" and will isolate until they return negative tests.

Pies coach Nathan Buckley said Grundy and De Goey were in no doubt for the clash with the Lions which has been relocated from the Gabba to Marvel Stadium following the snap lockdown announced in Brisbane.

"They had a sniffle and they've followed their COVID protocols and stayed at home away from the group, that's pretty much what it was," Buckley said on Wednesday afternoon.

 
Jordan De Goey with the Richard Pratt cup after the round two clash with Carlton. Picture: AFL Photos

"Much to coaches' chagrin (across the AFL), there's probably been more lost sessions to runny noses in the last couple of months than we would like but they're the extra precautions we're taking to make sure we don't have a repeat of last year."

The Pies will remain in Melbourne this week after the AFL announced on Monday morning that Buckley's side would swap their two fixtures with the Lions this year and instead travel north to the Gabba in round 22.

"It just seems like common sense to me. We always felt that it wasn't going to be isolated to 2020 so there's going to be different times when this reality may occur," Buckley said.

"The fact it's happened early in the season is no surprise but it's not going to be the first and won't be the last that we're going to have to make adjustments like this."

The Pies will be forced into one change for Thursday night with Jamie Elliott ruled out for up to three months after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured leg.

Last week's medical substitute Trey Ruscoe will come into the frame, as well as round one debutant Ollie Henry who was dropped for the win over Carlton.

Veteran Chris Mayne and wingman Nathan Murphy are also in calculations to face the Lions after training alongside other senior players in the club's black training jumpers on Monday.

Buckley also said the Pies would consider tagging Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale who was shut out of the Lions' round two loss to Geelong by Irishman Mark O'Connor.