Carlton’s tough task to recover from their winless AFL season start has been made even harder by the loss of ruck star Matthew Kreuzer for up to eight weeks.

Unbeaten Geelong have also suffered a major injury blow, with luckless speedster Travis Varcoe potentially sidelined for three months.

The Cats continued their pattern this season of giving an opponent a start then chasing them down, coming from 17 points behind midway through the second term to beat the Blues 18.11 (119) to 15.13 (103) at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.

Carlton, who lost narrowly to Richmond and Collingwood in the opening two rounds, next take on West Coast in Perth on Saturday night as they seek to avoid a 0-4 start under new coach Mick Malthouse.

Worryingly, given the form of Eagles big man Dean Cox, they will have to do so without Kreuzer, who fractured a thumb against the Cats.

Malthouse said Kreuzer would miss six-to-eight weeks, another setback for a Blues outfit already missing key forward Jarrad Waite and small forward Eddie Betts.

“That’s the nature of the game,” Malthouse said.

“It’s a contact sport, you win some, you get some back, you lose some.

“No one wants to lose good players – Betts and (Kreuzer) are very very crucial to our side.

“But when they’re not there, the best side runs down the race next week.”

Malthouse said either Levi Casboult or Robbie Warnock would replace Kreuzer.

Geelong coach Chris Scott, who said the Cats could not afford to keep giving sides head-starts and expecting to catch them, expected Varcoe would be a long-term absentee after he injured his left shoulder early in the game.

“Suffice to say it doesn’t look good,” Scott said.

“He’s had surgery on that shoulder before so that would indicate we’d be even more conservative given he’s got a history there.

“If surgery’s an option and a long-term lay-off is going to get him right for the end of the season or even next year that’s probably the way we’d go.”

That would mean another three months out of the game for Varcoe, who was restricted by a foot injury to just one game last year.