Carlton defender Andrew Walker is still aiming to play in the Blues’ blockbuster season opener against Richmond despite a slower than expected recovery from knee surgery.

Walker carried a sore knee through 14 games last year before he was put in for a season-ending operation following his side’s round 17 loss to Sydney.

The 28-year-old had hoped to enjoy an uninterrupted preparation for the 2015 campaign after an extended break, only to have the issue resurface in December.

“I had some complications just before Christmas, so I had some more surgery,” Walker told the AFL website on Wednesday.

“I’m about six weeks into that part of my rehab and still aiming for round one.

“The aim is to try and get the one NAB Challenge game in and then go straight into the season.

“The rehab is pretty intense at the minute and I’m just trying to give myself every opportunity to be (up for) selection for round one.”

Carlton’s final pre-season match is against Geelong at Etihad Stadium on March 22, with the Blues to face the Tigers at the MCG in the first game of the AFL season on April 2.

Walker’s luckless teammate Matthew Kreuzer is unlikely to feature in the opening rounds of the season after fracturing the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during an intra-club match last Thursday.

The injury is a real blow to the 25-year-old, who managed just one game last year thanks to a similar injury to the same foot.

Initial forecasts had him sidelined from four to six weeks, but football manager Andrew McKay later admitted that timeframe could be extended given Kreuzer’s injury history.

Carlton vice-captain Michael Jamison backed his teammate to bounce back from his latest setback.

“If anyone can overcome a situation like this, there’s no doubt it’s Matty because he’s certainly been through it before and he’s just got the mindset of a true professional,” Jamison said.