CARLTON is treading the fine line between contender and also-ran with six games left in the home-and-away season, but the Blues aren't allowing themselves to contemplate the consequences of a loss to Richmond on Saturday night.

The Tigers - who are two games out of the eight - will remain a finals chance in a mathematical sense only with a defeat, but a loss for Carlton, just one win ahead of Richmond, could prove just as devastating given the club's lengthy injury list.
 
"If you concentrate on the ladder, it's a huge game for both clubs," assistant coach Paul Williams said after training at Visy Park on Friday.

"But we're very much about playing in the manner that we believe is going to hold us in good stead no matter where the season ends up.

"If you can't handle pressure then you're in the wrong game from coaching right through to playing. We know there's enormous pressure no matter what stage of the year - whether you're where we are or whether you're at the top of the ladder."

The Blues go into the match as the underdogs according to betting markets, but have at least been able to bolster last week's depleted side with Matthew Kreuzer, Zach Tuohy, Kane Lucas and Marcus Davies, who will play his first game of the season after a luckless run with injury.

"To have Kreuzer back in is a big plus for us and we're looking forward to [him] competing as hard as we know [he] can," Williams said.

"He had a great duel against [Darren] Jolly a few weeks ago and he was a bit sore going into the last game and hence had a week off last week.

"Now he's looking like he's on top of his body again. He'll compete and crack in as hard as we know he can."

Mitch Robinson will miss one more week after he was a late withdrawal from the team that defeated the Western Bulldogs by 18 points last week with a calf strain.

Jarrad Waite, whose season has been derailed by a long-term back injury, moved freely at Friday's wet training session, but must regain match fitness in the VFL despite the importance of Saturday's clash to Carlton's season.

"We can't afford any of these guys now to come back in and then miss [another] two or three," Williams said.

"When they do come back in … we need them to play for the rest of the year."

Ruckman Rob Warnock was available for selection after serving his one-match suspension incurred at VFL level, but with wet conditions forecast, Williams said the Blues were wary of going into the match too tall.