Carlton veteran Sam Docherty will have a delayed start to pre-season after undergoing minor foot surgery.
The Blues confirmed on Friday Docherty was expected to recover over the break and be available for full training in January.
After a rough run with illness and injury earlier in his career, Docherty played 22 games in 2022 and backed that up with 23 this year.
Former captain Docherty played a memorable role in the Blues' run to an AFL preliminary final.
He popped his left shoulder out in the second quarter of their semi-final against Melbourne and was immediately helped down to the change rooms.
But he had the shoulder taped and was back out there in the third quarter, going on to set up Blake Acres' winning goal, before also playing the preliminary final against Brisbane.
Speedster Zac Williams is expected to integrate into Carlton's main group early in the new year as he eyes a comeback.
Williams has had a torrid run with injury over the past two seasons.
The 29-year-old missed most of the 2022 campaign with an achilles injury and was sidelined for all of this season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in February.
