West Coast have ruled out defender Tom Cole from Sunday's clash with Carlton due to hamstring tightness, with the premiership Eagle set to miss "a bit of footy".
Cole dealt with the ailment earlier this week, forcing West Coast into at least one change for Round 14.
"'Coley' will miss a bit of footy. He's got an injury there," coach Andrew McQualter said on Thursday.
"He's going to miss a little while, we're not quite sure how long yet, which is unfortunate for him, but as it always does, it will provide an opportunity for someone else.
"We don't know the exact timeframe yet. We'll work through that as he progresses through his rehab."
The forced change could see first-round draft selection Bo Allan play a full game, with McQualter confirming earlier this week that the teenager will play an entire match at either AFL or WAFL level this weekend.
McQualter said there's "potential" for Allan to be Cole's replacement in the starting side, with the Eagles coach unlikely to shift youngster Brady Hough back to the defensive 50 after his stint in midfield.
Mid-Season Draft addition Tom McCarthy is another who could slot into Cole's role; however, the limited amount of main training will hamper his chances.
"Tom's played two games for us now, but he hasn't main trained with our group yet," McQualter said of McCarthy.
"He was back in Melbourne for a personal commitment last week. Today will be his first full training with our group.
"We really think he can play, and he'll be a long-term player for us, but we also want to set him up to succeed and understand what we're trying to do out there. We'll weigh that up in match committee this afternoon.
"We think he's got really good scope as a player, hence why we picked him... but to fill in what the other guys have learnt over eight months is just not going to happen. We want to set them up to succeed."
The Eagles will name an extended 26-player squad at 6:20 pm (AEST) on Thursday before reducing their extended bench on Friday evening. Both West Coast and Carlton will confirm their finals squads an hour prior to Sunday's 6:10 pm bounce.
