Collingwood look certain to promote livewire forward Alan Didak for Wednesday’s AFL Anzac Day clash with Essendon after he emphatically shrugged off his injury woes.

The Magpies star injured his groin in the pre-season.

But he made a pressing call for a return to the seniors for the biggest home-and-away clash of the season with a starring role in the Magpies’ VFL side on Saturday.

Didak booted two goals and had 29 disposals in a heavy loss to Box Hill Hawks.

Both captain Nick Maxwell and teammate Jarryd Blair suggested on Sunday Didak’s return could well come in the Anzac Day clash with the unbeaten Bombers at the MCG.

“He had a good run in the VFL – 30 touches or something like that – so he’ll be pushing to play this week,” Blair told the Nine Network’s Sunday Footy Show.

Collingwood VFL coach Tarkyn Lockyer said Didak was moving better than he had in his return to football the previous week.

“His ball use was sensational,” Lockyer told Collingwood’s website.

“He kicked two and moved a lot better than what he did last week.”

The Magpies are already without a raft of key players – defender Heath Shaw and midfielder Dale Thomas the latest to succumb and missing the Magpies’ weekend win over Port Adelaide.

Essendon’s soft tissue injury woes deepened in their good win over Carlton at the weekend, with forward Michael Hurley certain to miss the Collingwood match.

He tweaked a hamstring to become the seventh Bomber in three weeks to suffer a soft tissue injury.

Coach James Hird conceded Hurley would “almost certainly” miss the match.

“It is a bit like the other injuries we’re getting. It’s just niggling little things but it will probably keep him out of Wednesday,” Hird said.