St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt has been ruled out of Friday night’s big AFL clash with Geelong.

Riewoldt had been pushing to come back from a leg injury but his bid was given the thumbs down by club doctors.

Saints coach Scott Watters said he was unsure when Riewoldt would rejoin the side.

He would not confirm whether the star forward would sit out for more than one match or not.

However Watters said scans showed that Riewoldt’s injury was not serious.

“He’s not quite right,” Watters said. “So it will give someone an opportunity to come in.

“It is minor but it is still probably having an impact on his function right at the moment despite the improvement.”

Watters said it was pointless keeping Geelong guessing by leaving a decision on Riewoldt until the last minute.

“I’m not into playing games,” Watters said. “I’ve got a lot of faith in the players we’ll select.

“Sometimes those games are over-rated and you actually distract your team from where they’re at.

“Another 48 hours won’t make any difference.”