Watch the Alan Toovey press conference on the club's YouTube channel.

COLLINGWOOD defender Alan Toovey believes young backman Lachlan Keeffe is ready to make his AFL debut if the Magpies' coaching staff decides to reshuffle the side in the wake of Chris Dawes' hand injury.

Pictures from Wednesday's recovery session at the Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre.

The Pies will have to either bring in a forward-line replacement for Dawes, who will miss at least a month with a broken knuckle, or shift a defender - potentially Chris Tarrant or Ben Reid - into attack for the clash with North Melbourne on Sunday.

Toovey said the 21-year-old Keeffe, who showed promise in the NAB Cup this year, was more than capable of filling a role.  

"I think if he got his chance, he'd definitely be ready," Toovey said on Wednesday.

"He's been emergency a fair few times this year and he's been playing good VFL footy so he's one of the guys if a defender went forward, he'd be looked at."

Coach Mick Malthouse said before the Pies' round 12 win over Melbourne that Keeffe had been unlucky to have not debuted this season so far, and that there had simply not been a call for a 204cm player in the side.

Dawes' absence for between four and six weeks could present the opportunity for the young former soccer player, who had only played a handful of Australian Rules games before being signing as a pre-listed Queensland rookie in 2007.

Tarrant is a strong option for the Pies to move into attack, with Toovey acknowledging the former forward still loved to kick a goal, as Tarrant demonstrated in round nine this year when he booted two against Adelaide.

"He kicked a few goals earlier in the season and he looked pretty pumped," Toovey said.

"The way he's been playing down back, I hope he wouldn't go up there; it's been good playing next to him deep in defence."

Toovey said it appeared Alan Didak, who missed Sunday's win over Hawthorn with a calf strain, was expected to be unavailable for at least another week as forecast when he sustained the injury.

"He had a bit of physio stuff [on Wednesday] and moved around a bit, did some skills and looked like he was moving okay," he said.

"I don’t think there's been any change with predicting when he'll come back, so it's going to be next week."

Toovey also backed premiership defender Tyson Goldsack, who has played five senior games this year after an illness-affected pre-season, to recapture consistent form and return to the side.

He felt the 24-year-old Goldsack was happy at the club despite not being able to currently sustain a consistent spot in the seniors. 

"He's a good player and he did good jobs all last year and during the finals, and whenever he's played he's done his job," Toovey said.

"There's him and a couple of other guys in the VFL that could step in if there are any other injuries or players' form drops.

"I think he's enjoying the club and he enjoys being here, so I wouldn't think he'd be wanting to move [on]."