The Richmond Tigers are set to be without their superstar Dustin Martin as the Brownlow Medallist continues to recover from a case of the flu.
The Tigers are set to face Carlton in a blockbuster on Thursday night at the MCG, but senior coach Damien Hardwick conceded to media on Wednesday that it was highly improbable that the 30-year-old will run out with the team.
"Dustin unfortunately has got a very bad case so he will probably be sitting on the sidelines at home with a cup of soup," Hardwick said.
"He is not too well ... he hasn't trained all week.
"He obviously came down with it over the weekend and just hasn't responded well."
Martin has played six games so far in 2022, taking an extended break between Round 1 and 8 to deal with personal issues.
The four-time All Australian has averaged 19 disposals, 3 clearances and 2.2 tackles so far this season.
Hardwick spoke on Martin's last few games, admitting the star isn't quite back to his best yet.
“Defensively last week he was very good and we showed some clips of what he brings to the team when his defensive intent is such a high level,” Hardwick said.
“Offensively, he’d be the first to say his polish could be better, but he’s working his way back onto that. He’ll bounce back and be an important player.”
The Tigers won't be the only ones forced into a change, with Carlton set to welcome mid-season recruit Sam Durdin into the team for his club debut after ongoing injuries, the latest to Caleb Marchbank, have put a serious dent in the Blues' defensive stocks.
