Collingwood midfielder Finlay Macrae will require a month on the sidelines after undergoing a minor procedure on his hand due to a thumb injury.
Macrae sustained the setback in his side's VFL win over Sandringham over the weekend, with the young onballer managing to play through the injury despite being in discomfort.
The club decided to have Macrae undergo precautionary X-rays following Sunday's game, with scans showing a crack in Macrae's thumb, albeit on the minor end.
Collingwood confirmed on Tuesday evening that after visiting a specialist Macrae will require surgery on his thumb, with the 21-year-old needing three to four weeks before making a return to play
Macrae will make a return to training in close to a fortnight before building his workloads prior to being cleared to play.
The setback comes in a frustrating season for the 2020 first-round draft pick, who had missed the start of the year due to ongoing back issues.
Macrae is yet to feature at AFL level this year, however has been named among Collingwood's emergencies on close to a dozen occasions.
In more positive news for the Magpies, forward Will Hoskin-Elliott is likely to be available for selection to face Carlton on Friday night as he eyes a return from his own hand injury.
Hoskin-Elliot is still needing to get through training this week, but the club is confident the former Giant will be deemed fit.
Collingwood and Carlton clash at the MCG on Friday night at 7:50pm (AEST).
