CARLTON coach Brett Ratten has refused to use injuries as an excuse after the Blues were "caught napping" by Essendon on Saturday.

Andrew Carrazzo will miss 6-8 weeks after fracturing his right shoulder blade in the first minute of play at the MCG and Jeremy Laidler struggled throughout after suffering soreness in the knee he dislocated in the pre-season.

But after a week in which Carlton was installed as premiership favourites, Ratten's men put in a largely listless display that saw them suffer their first loss of the season.
 
"It would be a big excuse if we said that," Ratten replied when asked if the early injuries explained the 30-point loss.

"Teams will face these challenging times to reshape their teams and that's the beauty of coaching - you don't know if it's going to be a beautiful day or if it's going to rain or lose players and you have to change your plans.

"Credit to them - they played very well and that's why they're now 4-0. We did say that they were getting under people's radars and they're very offensive and very good at what they're doing.

"We were caught napping a lot today, I thought."

Ratten bemoaned an uneven contribution from his players who managed to kick just one goal across the second and third quarters.

The Bombers put their stamp on the game right from the outset with several strong tackles and Ratten felt his team's inability to respond was a key factor in the loss.

"We probably weren't as on the front foot as what they were," he said.

"Sometimes when teams go to battle they test the water very early and sometimes if you don't feel the pressure that you thought you were going to feel you start to build momentum.

"Sometimes in that little arm-wrestle [you can think]: 'Oh this is not as hard as what I thought' and then the confidence builds."

Ratten agreed the result was a reality check for his players after a week in which they were widely lauded as a major threat to take out this year's premiership.

"Footy's a great leveller, isn't it?" he mused.

"We need players to play their part and contribute to make sure we get the result.

"I thought we just weren't as hungry at the ball carrier or as aggressive at the ball carrier as we have been in previous weeks."

Carrazzo was sent to hospital for scans on his shoulder during the game. Laidler suffered bruising in his left knee, but Ratten expects him to be available to face Fremantle next week. Chris Yarran hobbled from the field in the dying minutes with a toe injury, but he will also be fit for selection.