Collingwood will be without their reigning best and fairest Dayne Beams for up to four more AFL games after he aggravated a thigh injury.

Coach Nathan Buckley said ruckman Darren Jolly (ribs) would also remain on the sidelines for Saturday’s MCG clash with unbeaten Richmond.

Beams sustained his injury at training before the opening round and was nearing a return before the latest setback.

“The last thing you want to do when you walk into a medical meeting is to hear that one of your better players is probably another three or four weeks longer than you anticipated before you walked in the door,” Buckley told reporters on Wednesday.

“Beamsy’s incredibly frustrated by it.

“Our medicos are working hard to get him up to speed.

“But at the same time there’s no use pushing a player up if he’s 85 per cent fit.”

Buckley said Beams pulled up sore after a weekend training session.

“It’s a bit of a re-bleed and it just signals to us that it was more significant than we initially thought and we just need to give it a bit more time,” he said.

The effect of Jolly’s continued absence is countered somewhat by the strong form veteran Ben Hudson showed in his Magpies debut in Sunday’s loss to Hawthorn.

Forwards Alan Didak and Andrew Krakouer will be pushing for AFL returns against the Tigers, after working their way back from injury through the VFL.

“We’ve been encouraged by the progress of those two boys in particular, their intensity is picking up in the VFL,” Buckley said.

He said the fact that the Magpies’ Anzac Day clash with Essendon comes only five days after the match against the Tigers could factor into their selection for Saturday’s game.