Magpies senior coach Craig McRae believes the injury that forced Jeremy Howe to be substituted from Friday night's clash with Gold Coast is "minor," but a timeline for his return is currently unclear.
Howe, who was subbed out of the game at halftime with a groin injury, was one of three Magpies to head to the locker room for treatment at different stages of the game, with Jack Crisp and Nick Daicos also needing an extra look from Collingwood's medical staff before they rejoined the match.
"I'm hearing it's minor from his mouth and the doctor," McRae said post-game. "But scans will confirm that. But it looks minor."
Collingwood fans would have had their hearts in their mouths on multiple occasions as Nick Daicos took repeated knocks throughout the contest. The Brownlow favourite tweaked his ankle in the first quarter, which sent him to the locker room for further treatment, and was winded by an in-air collision with Gold Coast's Connor Budarick.
Despite these incidents, Daicos was his usual influential self with 26 disposals and eight score involvements, but McRae admitted that he took him away from the contest in the fourth quarter, which enabled his brother Josh to spark a late Collingwood comeback.
"[Nick] looked sore, didn't he?" McRae said. "I was watching him run and watching it on the tape, and I'm going, 'Nick's not going to the contest like we would love him to, so let's put Josh in there.' That was a move that potentially helped us move the needle on the scoreboard."
"Nick looked a little bit sore at times tonight so if we try to move him around to where he can get the best out of what he delivers, he'll be better for it."
Collingwood returns to the MCG next week to take on Fremantle in what looks to be another titanic midfield clash.
