Sanderson, who sat out last weekend's match against St Kilda with a calf injury, has not trained this week and was restricted to walking laps at training last night.

The 28-year-old has blanketed the Fremantle goal sneak in previous encounters when the Wizard was with Melbourne, and Geelong coach Mark Thompson said his injury was a blow to the side.

``Sanderson has been under an injury cloud this week,'' he said.

``There's no doubt we would love to have him, he's our best and fairest winner from last year.''

Thompson, who will coach his 50th match this week, said he was yet to decide on match-ups.

``We've still go a few blokes under an injury cloud, so we will have to wait and see how they get through tonight's training before we make any decisions,'' he said last night.

But in better news for the Cats, 18-year-old recruit James Kelly is a chance to get his first senior run, named on Geelong's interchange.

Kelly, a speedy midfielder who was selected by Geelong with pick 17 at the 2001 national draft, is not a certain starter with three players to be cut from the line-up before Sunday.

If selected he could join fellow first-year players James Bartel and Gary Ablett junior, who have both been selected in the forward line, and rookies Paul Chambers and Jarad Rooke, who have been named on the bench.

Forward Mitchell White looks set for his first senior run of the season, also named on the interchange.

White has played the past two weeks in the VFL after missing six weeks with a back-related hamstring injury, and Thompson said he would be a handy addition.

``He missed a lot of footy, but he pulled up well last week,'' Thompson said. ``We just have to make a decision on if he's fit.''

Thompson said White's experience would make a big difference to a young side, particularly when taking on a much improved Fremantle.

``They're much better than they were last year,'' he said. ``Their form has fluctuated, like ours has, but they played their best game on the weekend. To beat Richmond was a good effort.''

In a weekend double for Cats fans, the Geelong VFL side will take on the Bendigo Diggers at Skilled Stadium tomorrow.